Being Watched
by InbredSuzy
Summary: Inuyasha is a successful animator/writer who writes anime based on his past, and Kagome is a paralegal whose father is the most feared man in Tokyo. One day, on his daily train commute to work, Kagome falls into his lap. Little did they know, that moment would change their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 1

Inuyasha waited at the station for the train home to arrive. Surrounded by nameless people, he looked at his watch and sighed, ' _Damn it, the train is late again.'_

Some girl to his left laughed loudly and startled him. He looked her way, saw her interacting with her three friends. She was trying to push a large book into another's backpack. He looked away and let out another sigh. Someone behind him bumped into him, and apologized. _'Yeah, thanks, you nearly knocked me off the platform, jerk. Sorry my ass.'_

Finally, his ears under the red and white ball cap caught the sounds of the distant train coming. Every day was like that, it never failed. He wanted to get home so badly, and being surrounded by swarms of people who talked all at once, made him uncomfortable. His sensitive ears could pick up every syllable, every hum, and every sigh each human made, and his head couldn't take it. He enjoyed silence and the sounds only he'd make, or the music he listened to every now and then. Inuyasha lived alone, and liked it that way. No one to bother, badger, or annoy him. That was the life. Once a year he'd get together with a few people he considered friends, but they all had families, busy lives, and complicated schedules. Otherwise, he had only himself.

When the train finally sailed into the station and slowed to a stop, Inuyasha was pushed into the car by the people behind him. He stumbled into a seat and watched as impatient people packed themselves in like sardines. A woman was suddenly pushed and fell face-first into him. He stiffened and she placed her hands against his chest and leaned back. She got a good look at the man she fell into. They locked eyes for a moment, and just then, the train jerked to life. She lost her balance and he gripped her to his chest to stop her from hitting the floor beside him.

She gathered her wits about her and said, "Thank you."

Inuyasha's eyes grew a bit bigger. "You're welcome. You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you. You saved my life."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. I just didn't want you to hurt yourself."

She stood from his arms, and gripped the bar beside him. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Kagome. What's yours?"

"Inuyasha."

"You take the train every day?"

"Pretty much. You?" She nodded. "I hate the train."

"Why do you take it then?"

"Because I have to. If I had a license, I would be driving everywhere. I don't like being surrounded by chatter boxes."

"What do you do? Where do you work?"

"Shibuya Studios. I'm an animator."

"Oh, wow! Are you working on something right now?"

"Yeah, but I can't really talk about it."

"Oh. Oh, my stop." She looked down at him and her eyes met his once again. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"We'll see." He looked on as she smiled, turned, and left the train.

He looked forward to see that a good amount of the riders left the car. He sighed again and stretched his legs out. After a couple more stops the train was almost empty. He stood and waited for the platform to arrive. When the door opened, he stepped through and then just headed up the stairs. Once he arrived on the street he turned right and kept walking for about a quarter mile past shops, restaurants, coffee shops and the like. People laughed, ate, commiserated and enjoyed life as he continued on alone.

Soon he arrived at his building, and walked in through the door. He climbed the stairs to his door at the top and went in. He set his keys on the table beside the door, removed his shoes, and went straight to his fridge. Empty. He sighed and shut the door. _'I knew I forgot something.'_ He stepped into the foyer, slipped his shoes back on, grabbed his keys and headed back down onto the street.

Later, after getting back from the supermarket, he cooked a simple meal, and turned on his computer in the living room, setting his meal on the desk beside the keyboard. He pulled up his account at work, and started doing some more animation for the show. His co-workers called him a workaholic, but he shrugged it off, seeing as he had nothing better to do. Working at home helped the shows progress stay ahead of schedule. He found peace in creating characters and bringing them to life on the screen. Vibrant, colorful, kind, and evil; all the characters he worked on meant something to him.

Ever since the future came, he felt he had nothing to live for, save for creating dynamic characters that seemed believable to his colleagues and fans of the shows he created. A lot of his characters were modeled after people he encountered in his distant past. That past with Naraku. Naraku was his arch-enemy, and a half-demon that messed up his life eons ago. He modeled the evil characters after Naraku in various ways, which allowed Inuyasha to conquer him repeatedly.

The concept brought him joy, since he felt alone in the world. Even today, he continued to wear red and white, and he kept his long, silvery hair tied back in a low ponytail. People who first met him always saw him as a rebel because of his hair and eye color. He hated when people stared at him. When he applied at Shibuya Studios, he presented a portfolio of his drawings that stemmed from life. The director and producers liked his work, and hired him on the spot.

Now, he creates instead of taking life away. Ever since Kikyo's death, he'd been alone. Miroku and Sango died off centuries ago, and he never saw reason to make new friends. He felt useless for a long time, and lived amongst the bamboo in the nearby forests surrounding rural prefectures near Kyoto.

Then civilization took over. They knocked down the old shrines from his time, and he felt out of place. He lived in the mountains for a while, and then came down when the mountains became tourist traps. At one point, he was hired to cut bamboo trees for building materials when a logger saw him chop one down with one hand out of frustration. He made good money, and put it away while he lived amongst the trees remotely. Then he later bought the flat which was centered in civilization. Soon after, he felt the need to see Kikyo. He grabbed a pencil, some blank paper, and drew her face. The sketch brought him comfort. He continued to draw her, Miroku, Sango, and other people he missed. The images brought him happiness.

While he sat in a café and ate his meal one day, he drew Naraku on a pad of paper. An animator walked past and asked him about the image. He told him it was inspired by someone from his past. The animator handed him a business card for the director of Shibuya Studios, and he later applied. That was over ten years ago. The money was good, but he didn't spend it, as he had nothing to spend it on. That night, he continued working into the night, while others slept around him.

Presently, the next morning, he got up out of his chair and readied himself for work. He experienced the same everyday drawl as yesterday. He got on the fairly empty subway train car, which gradually filled up until he got to Shibuya Station, but one thing did change- he saw Kagome get on that morning. She slinked in under arms, around torsos and between talkers to stand by a door just a few feet down from Inuyasha's seat.

She looked around after gripping the bar beside her, and happened to catch a glimpse of the cap he wore the afternoon before. When she saw the cap, she did her best to get closer as the train raced over the tracks and away from the station. When she dodged around a tall gentleman in a suit, she caught those gold-hued eyes. As soon as they caught hers, a smile seemed to appear in them, though his lips remained neutral. Inuyasha seemed to relax and sit back against his seat when she asked to switch spots with another suit holding onto the bar beside Inuyasha.

"Hello, again, Inuyasha." Her voice was like a song- it was beautiful, full of cheer, and warm to his ears.

"Hi, Kagome."

"Do you sit here every day?"

"Pretty much. There's only one stop before mine, so I have my pick, and very rarely have to move." He placed his hands on the seat bars and stood, offering his seat to Kagome.

"Oh, no, you don't have to, I'm fine."

"Please, I insist. I was just keeping it warm for you." His eyes radiated a gentleness she couldn't resist.

Before she could react again, her body just slipped around the tall floor-to-ceiling bar and planted itself into the warm seat. He took her position by the door.

"So, you got to know me yesterday. Now what about you?"

"Huh?" She looked up and saw the question in his eyes. "Oh, I am a paralegal. I work for Jun and Takara Law, just a station before Shibuya."

"Ah. You like your job?"

"Yes. I work for my father, Toru Jun."

"I see. Is your father on this train?"

"No, he lives just a block from the office, so he doesn't need to ride the train like I do."

"Left the family home."

"Well, I wasn't happy living at home. I will work for my father, but I can't live with him. He is a tough man, and lives every minute of every day by a tight schedule. I don't thrive in that kind of situation. So, when I came of age, I moved."

"Ah. And you like working for him?"

"He's not a bad boss. Just a bad father is all. My mother, bless her heart, is the reason I tolerated living with him through my childhood. She tamed him, so to speak. I've told her to leave him, and to be happy with a better man, but she refuses. So, I visit her every so often on my days off, but he's not someone I am proud of, really." She averted her eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear your dad's such a pill." She looked up at him, and saw a slight smile appear on his face.

"Thank you." The train stopped. "Oh, I have to get off."

She stood and Inuyasha cleared the way for her and surprised her when he got off after her. "Wait, this isn't your stop!"

"Oh, I'll be alright. Just thought I'd walk you to work, that's all."

"You don't have to do that," she turned from him to walk up the stairs.

"No, no. Really, it's alright. It's not that far for me from where you're going, I'm sure, so don't worry about it," he held a door open for her.

"Oh, all right, if you insist."

He stepped up beside her and continued along. "Are you hungry? Need some coffee? Anything?" He asked as they passed a café.

"No, I'm fine."

"You sure? My treat." He grabbed the door to the café and motioned her to step in.

"Inuyasha, I must be on time, and I have no time to spare. Maybe next time, if we can get an earlier start, I'd be happy if you'd treat me then."

"Okay, how about Monday?"

"Sure. What time shall your train pick me up?"

"How about, oh, say, an hour early."

"At 6am?!"

"Yeah, that way we can sit down, have a nice chat, and really put something good in our bellies rather than the bran muffin I'm sure you were eating this morning on your way out."

"How'd you…?" She eyed him in shock.

"I can smell it. And you seem a bit on the tired side, though I can tell you're trying to hide it."

"Inuyasha, when did I give you the permission to try to take care of me?" Her demeanor certainly took a turn for the low.

"I'm just saying, I'm here, and am willing to help if you need it."

"Inuyasha, you are a sweet man. Very generous, and… well, while it's nice having someone kind to talk to, I am not asking anything of you, all right?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

She sighed and looked him in the eyes, her gaze softening. "I don't mean to come off assertively, but these are things my father does to me, and I don't… You know…"

"Point taken. We'll get together and eat when you decide, okay? And not to take care of you, but to just get to know you. Sound good?"

She smiled. "Yes, that's much better."

They continued on for another couple blocks and then stopped before a twelve-floor tall, ritzy looking glass and steel building embossed in gold accents, circular doors, and nothing but suits coming and going.

"Here's my stop." He turned and stood before her, with a nervous look in his eyes. "What is it?" She asked.

He looked her in the eyes and licked his lips before looking down again. "Well, I guess I'll see you on the train later then. Have a good day at work." He looked up and smiled.

"Of course I'll see you later, I'll look for you. Thanks for walking me to work, I appreciate it." She returned the smile.

"See ya." He waved as he walked on down the street. She stood there watching him continue on. A little ways off, he broke into a run. She giggled and then walked through the nearest door.

Meanwhile, ten stories up, a stern face watched her interact with a young man wearing a cap, common clothes and a long, oddly colored ponytail down his back. He was dressed casually, carrying a dirty, worn, and grey knapsack across his chest that looked like he'd been carrying it since he was five. As soon as the slob walked off and his daughter entered the building, he stepped back away from the window with a scowl across his lips.

Kagome soon arrived at her desk, set her purse and briefcase down and heard her door close. She turned to see her father walking toward her desk; he was angry. She cautiously stepped behind her desk for protection from the storm sure to come.

"Who was that down on the street with you?"

"Oh, just some guy who rides the train I take to work and home. Why?"

"I don't like that he walked you to your job."

"Oh, father, it's innocent, I assure you."

"Oh, sure. He's poor, and I'm positive that he sees beautiful, rich you and thinks he can get in on your inheritance."

"Father, how can you think that? He's an animator at Shibuya Studios. He makes excellent wages!"

"I bet. He certainly doesn't look it, and I wouldn't doubt if he's lying to you."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, Shibuya Studios is over a mile away from your stop. I believe that walking you to work just cost him his livelihood," he stepped out of her office and shut the door.

She slapped her pen down on her desk and shook her head. She sat down at her desk and looked up Shibuya Studio's website to see the location. Her father was right, one and a half miles away, and the studio is open from 8:30 am to 5 pm. She bit her lip. She decided to click on the "About Our Animators" tab, and the first face she saw was Inuyasha's neutral picture staring back at her. Wearing that same ball cap, a red T-shirt, his hair back as usual, and his golden eyes gleaming beautifully back at her. She studied his eyes for a few moments. They were warm, speckled in black here and there, and just so soft, like the color of honey. His skin, as she saw on the monitor, and in person, was an unusual perfection. Not a blemish or scar existed on his face. His hair was a striking silver, and the length was very over the top as it reached down to his hips. She sighed, and wondered about his parentage, and where he's from.

Once he was out of sight, Inuyasha ran into an alley way, climbed up the side of the nearest brick building, and hopped from roof to roof to his job, still arriving on time.

He arrived at his desk, and his boss knocked on his door. "Morning, Inu. So, what's with the smile and very upbeat demeanor?"

"Oh, no reason. Just glad I made it on time," he turned toward his boss, and a sealed envelope was thrust into his hand.

"The slides you produced last night got you a bonus. Great job, keep it up. This is your best villain yet, Inu." He walked out and closed the door.

Inuyasha opened the envelope to see a check of 15,000 yen inside. He smiled and slid the check into his bag, slipped the bag back over his shoulder and headed out of his office to deposit his check into his bank account. Friday was bonus day for all animators, and he generally received the highest bonuses because he accomplished the most. He walked past his co-worker Toshi who had just looked at his bonus.

"How big this time, Inu?"

"Big enough to make you wish you had it." He replied with a smirk and then turned to leave the office.

"How do you do it?" His co-worker asked.

"Easy, I'm an insomniac," he shrugged and left the office.

After he deposited his check in the bank, he decided to take his lunch early, and stopped off at the nearest fast food restaurant for an egg sandwich and some coffee. He wished Kagome was with him.

Later that day, Kagome's rough shift ended, and she looked a bit haggard. Her purse fell off her shoulder as she went around in the circular door to leave the building. Suddenly she bumped into somebody. She looked up to see Inuyasha standing before her.

"Hi Kagome. You alright?" She looked at him for a moment, and nearly fainted. He reached out, and helped her stand.

"No, I had a rough day…" She gathered herself and looked into those gorgeous golden eyes.

"Here, I'll walk you to the station." He put his arm around her and helped her along.

"What happened to you today? Is everything alright?"

"Not really, my father is furious."

"Furious? Over what?"

She stopped and eyed him. "Over you."

"Me? Why? I didn't do anything wrong."

"You're right, you did nothing wrong. This is what I was telling you about earlier. There's a reason why I can't live with him- no man I like is good enough for his daughter. Well, no man alive, that is."

"Well, I have only one thing to say about that."

"What's that?"

He looked her in the eye and said, "I don't give a damn what he thinks, and you shouldn't either."

She eyed him for a few silent moments, nodded and they continued on, with his arm around her shoulder. When they arrived at the station, he stood behind her, in the front of the platform as the train rolled in. They filed in, and he set her down in his seat, and sat down beside her. She leaned into his shoulder as the train accelerated. Inuyasha leaned away from her, put his right arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his muscular chest. She heard his steady, strong heartbeat, heard his inhalation, and relaxed into his warmth.

When her stop came up, she was asleep, and wouldn't rouse. So, when his stop came up, he picked her up in his arms, and walked to his place. When he arrived at his flat, he set her down on the bed, removed her shoes and purse and set them and her briefcase beside the bed. He laid an extra blanket over her and then shut the light off. He stood in the doorway and watched her for a few moments. She slept so deeply that she was unaware of where she was, or that she was off the train. He cracked the door and walked to the kitchen to grab a snack and get back to work.

A few hours later, Kagome roused from her deep nap to find herself in unfamiliar surroundings. She immediately sat up with a gasp, and fumbled for a light. She fell out of the bed, all tied up in the blanket. She crawled on the floor toward a shard of light, and reached for the light switch. Once the light turned on, the door bumped open. She looked up to see Inuyasha standing over her.

"Wha… where am I?" She asked as she slipped away from him along the floor.

"You fell asleep on the train. I tried to ask you where you live, but you were completely out. So, I took you home to my place."

She sat there on the floor panting. He kneeled down before her and swept her disheveled hair from her eyes with his fingers. "I decided not to disturb you. You said you'd had a rough day, and I thought you needed some rest. Are you hungry?"

She nodded. He held out his hand. She took it. He helped her to her feet and led her into his kitchen. She sat in the nearest chair at the small table.

"What do you have a taste for?"

"What do you have?"

"I have some leftovers from last night: some udon, pickled radishes, a few pastries, and the like. I could cook up some chicken, beef, salmon, or pork, whichever you prefer."

"Salmon sounds good," she said and he went straight to work on her meal.

She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, pulled her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. Not long after, her meal was set before her: pickled radishes, Udon in broth, and a cooked filet of salmon. He set chopsticks and a spoon before her and sat down across from her with a glass of water.

"Thank you," she said as she set the chopsticks in her hand and broke off a piece of the cooked salmon. She hummed her satisfaction of the taste. Inuyasha smiled inside his glass of water.

"Aren't you going to eat?" She asked.

"Nah, I ate hours ago. Plus, it's after 11 pm. I'm not too hungry this time of night."

Her eyes went wide. "It's 11 pm?"

"Yeah, you slept the evening away. Don't you get any sleep at home?"

She looked at her plateful of food and said, "Not really."

"Why not? Something going on?" She looked up and then back to her food and started eating.

"Come on, you can level with me. I don't know many people, so it won't get anywhere past this table, I swear."

She looked up at him as she chewed silently for a moment. "Well, it's just… um…"

Inuyasha leaned forward and placed his arms on the table to show he was listening.

"I'm just… not that comfortable talking about it."

"Why not? Maybe it's something I can help with."

"I-I don't know…" She looked in his eyes and saw the concern.

After a moment, his eyes held firm, willing her to reveal her issue. "Well, there's this… guy."

"Okay. And?"

"He watches me…"

"What do you mean? Watches you how?"

"He… I would come home and see binoculars following me. I close my blinds and curtains, but I'm afraid he can still see."

"Where do you live?" She shook her head. "Kagome, what part of town do you live in?"

"On Tani Street in Kana prefecture." Her breathing was labored, and she shuddered, pulling the blanket around her even more.

"No, not there…" She nodded.

Tani Street was known to be where the rejects of society lived and thrived; the less than fortunate. He rested his forehead in his left hand.

"I may work for my father, but he doesn't pay me well. I can't afford to live anywhere else. However, it's better than being under his thumb."

"Being watched by some sick freak with binoculars is better than being protected and loved by your father?!" She looked up to see surprise in Inuyasha's eyes.

"You're not living there anymore." He stood from the table and went to the bedroom.

A couple moments later, he had grabbed her shoes and said, "After you're finished eating, you and I are going back to your apartment and you're grabbing your essentials, and coming back here."

"But, Inuyash-"

"No ifs, ands or buts. You are not living there anymore."

He sat down in the seat next to her and faced her. "Look, I am by myself. I get paid a huge amount of money for what I do. I seriously just got a 15,000 yen bonus check today. I get one every Friday, and I have more than enough money to cover my expenses, however little they are."

"Inu, I…"

"You can have them." She looked at him in shock. "The money's yours. I'll give it to you at the ATM."

"But, that's not necessary."

"Oh, I think it is. You're a nice, kind, and beautiful girl who lives in the slums. And here I have more than what I need. It wouldn't be right of me to hold onto what I have and let you be victimized. I'm not selfish. You shouldn't hurt yourself because your father hurt you emotionally, that doesn't have to continue."

He reached forward and wiped the tears from her cheeks. He smiled and she returned the smile. "So, finish your meal, and we'll go, k?" She nodded, and he left the table for the living room.

Later, they left his flat and walked back to the station. The train came in shortly after and they took their seats. When they arrived at her neighborhood, he put his arm around her and held her close. His eyes and ears were peeled, listening to everyone, and seeing everything. She pointed out which building was hers, and they walked to the door. His face was in the dark. She looked with a gasp.

"What?"

"Your eyes, they are reflecting the light above the door. I've never seen human eyes do that." He blinked a few times, shifting his gaze.

"Yeah, they do that in the right light. Come on, someone's coming, let's get inside." She turned to the door and unlocked it.

When they arrived inside, the door slammed shut behind him. The foyer was filthy, worn down, unkempt and the wood looked rotten. They carefully made their way up the rickety steps up to the third floor, to the second door on the right. She unlocked the door and they entered. When she turned on the light, her apartment was clean, but very old. The wood on the floor was just as bad as the wood in the foyer. The walls were painted one too many times, and the wood trim was as white as the walls. The radiator obviously barely worked, as it was cold inside, and the lights were cheap fixtures.

He turned and locked the door as someone entered the foyer from below. He went to the windows and looked through the blinds for the binoculars. When he entered her bedroom, he saw the webbed shears and the dark over curtains were open. Through the shears he saw a flash. He approached the window, and swept the curtains open to see a house across the street with dark windows. There, in a dark window on the third floor of the old house, was a set of binoculars looking back at him. He scowled, growled at the window, and shut the curtains.

She walked into the bedroom asking, "I take it you saw the binoculars."

"Yes."

"You know, this is something that happens every day, and can happen anywhere, not just here in the slums."

"Yes, that's true, but who says that you can't be in a better place at least? You risk yourself dealing with worse than this every single day you come home. I'm sure you'd be able to sleep at night if you knew you were better protected."

"I know. I'm just used to this, is all."

He walked up to her as she packed her clothing into her suitcase. "For how long?" She stepped around him to grab more clothing from her closet. He grabbed her from behind and turned her around. "How long?"

"Two years." His arms dropped from her shoulders and he walked again to that window, watching through the shears. "I left my father's house two years ago."

"I believe there's a reason why we met on the train. Why you fell into my lap, Kagome." He turned to her. "I don't believe in coincidences."

"What do you mean?"

"I am to watch over you. Protect you. Don't worry, I promise not to be like your father, but I refuse to allow you to continue renting here. You don't have to live with me, you can still have your own place. We'll get this all figured out soon, I promise."

She nodded and continued to pack, while he turned back to the window. A moment later, she went into the bathroom to grab her toiletries. Inuyasha looked to her dresser to see a pen and a stack of post-its. He wrote a note on the back side of the post-it and stuck it on the window- a message for the peeping Tom across the street, _'She's moving tonight, so find someone else to watch, asshole!'_

A/N:

I know what some readers might be thinking, as I thought the same thing while editing this chapter. It's not only long, but in reality, would Kagome have listened to, and followed everything Inuyasha suggested? Including remaining in his flat for the night? Probably not. But then, I am reminded of the series and how it all started between them. He really didn't give her much choice on what happened next after they met. He controlled the pace of things, where she ended up, and looked after her, even though she didn't ask him to. The instant connection in the series was a bit rushed, so to speak. He was an anti-hero in the beginning, and even threatened to kill her, and yet, she didn't mind him being in the same room with her. I guess, after thinking about those points, yes, it does fit, because in this story, as in the beginning of the series (in some respects) she was a bit passive, as she is in this story. She doesn't have many options, and she does the best she can with what she's got. So, yeah, even a bit rushed, this is the chapter of a nice short story, and I refuse to change it.


	2. Chapter 2

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 2

The next morning, a sound startled a set of dark brown eyes open. Kagome blinked to focus on the image in front of her. There he was, rummaging through his closet, looking for something to wear. She watched silently as he eyed each shirt. His hair was still matted, and draped long down his naked back, past the waistline of his blue jeans. His stature was tall, lanky, and muscular. Suddenly, she quieted a gasp; it seemed as if something moved on top of his head. She strained her eyes to focus better, only to see two silver triangles shifting side to side atop of his head. That moment, he'd chosen a shirt, turned and stopped short when he saw her eyeing him in shock.

He didn't know what to say. He dropped his arms to his side and stood before her while the shock slowly melted from her face. She slowly sat up and stood from the bed, dressed in her night clothes. He stood rigidly as she approached him. His breathing picked up speed the closer she got, his perfect bare chest rose high with each intake.

He closed his eyes. "I know what you're thinking. I'm a freak."

She stopped. "No, you're not." His eyes opened to meet hers. "I've never seen them on a man before, but that doesn't make you a freak."

She reached her hands up to touch the soft triangles of furry flesh. His eyes stuck on hers as she petted his ears. "They're really real, wow."

"Yes, they are. Now you want to know what I am, and where I got them." His said cynically.

"You were born this way, weren't you?" His expression melted. "Inuyasha... I see, dog spirit."

"So, you're not afraid?"

"No, why would I be? It explains everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes. You're loyalty to your seat, and to me, it seems. Your need to protect me, even though I haven't asked for it. You're making it to work on time from my building about two miles from your own. Ya know what they say, Inu?"

"No, what do _they_ say?"

"That dogs choose their owners."

He snorted and turned to leave the room. "Don't treat me like a dog!"

He walked out the door into the bathroom and slipped his red, tight t-shirt on, which gave Kagome quite a show of his muscular stature from the side.

 _'That's another trait dogs have; they like to be treated like humans.'_

Kagome walked to the bedroom door, closed it, and rummaged through her bags for clothes.

When she stepped from the bedroom a few minutes later with her toiletry bag, she saw him sitting at the computer down the hall. His hair was draped down his back still, and he was silently coloring an image. The brush strokes were effortless, flawless, and so sweeping that she was entranced in his work.

Suddenly, he stopped mid stroke, and looked over his shoulder at her. She then lowered her gaze. She retreated around the corner toward the bathroom, and closed the door. He clicked his tongue and went back to the finishing touches of the last image he'd worked on the entire night to meet his deadline for the next week. Once he finished, he leaned back in his chair, and stretched his long arms and fingers high into the air above his head.

Kagome left the bathroom ten minutes later. She was dressed in a summer dress, and her wavy black hair rested softly on her shoulders. Her face was made up simply. She was ready for whatever Inuyasha may have had planned for the day. When she arrived in the living room, she saw Inuyasha finish a stretch. When he settled upright again, he turned in his chair to see her standing before him, dressed as she was.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, it is Saturday."

"Yeah, so?"

"Wait, don't tell me you don't go out and enjoy the sun on a beautiful Saturday morning?"

"Nope. Got too much to do, but you can do whatever you want today."

"Actually, I thought maybe we could have that breakfast you promised me."

He turned around in his chair and continued to do something in the program on the screen. "I did, didn't I?" She didn't respond, but silently watched him toss it over.

He saved the work, set his computer to hibernate, and turned to her. "Let's go then."

He stood and walked toward her, eyes piercing hers. "I have to say something though."

She remained planted as he stopped within a breath's length from her. "You look absolutely beautiful today."

She immediately blushed, looked down and chuckled. His fingers lifted her chin to look up at him. His gaze captured hers for a moment and her heart caught in her chest. The way he looked at her made her nervous. He was in control of the moment, and for some reason, she couldn't move. She was entranced in his golden eyes, full of mystery and depth. She wanted to know what he was thinking, holding her soul hostage as he was. He slightly leaned forward, but she moved back slightly, and his eyes fell away.

"Sorry, didn't mean to do that." He stepped around her and left the room to grab his cap, wallet and keys from the table in the hall.

She stood there to catch her breath, and turned a moment later to see him looking her way expectantly.

"You coming or what?" She smiled and followed him out of the apartment.

Once on the street, he turned right, and she continued to follow; nervously behind. They walked in awkward silence until he looked at her over his shoulder. He coaxed her to join him at his side. They walked side-by-side as he pointed out various restaurants in his neighborhood. Upon a decision, they walked across the street and entered a small and quaint café.

They chose a table. A waitress appeared at their side and set menus down before them saying, "Welcome to Asari Yama. Let me know when you're ready to order."

Inuyasha picked up the menu, and began perusing before Kagome thanked the waitress. The menu was simple, the food was decently priced, and they offered quite a selection of food from deli to elaborate sushi and fish dishes. Kagome found it hard to decide, but was leaning toward the cheapest sandwich she could think of.

He clicked his teeth and set his menu down. He took a sip of his water and looked at her. "You know what you want yet?"

"I can't decide, but I'm thinking about the sakana sandwich."

"What?" She looked up at him in question. "Have what you want. No need to be cheap."

"But I'm already sleeping in your bedroom and leaving you the couch."

"Hey, listen to me. You don't have to worry about the money, or what you're allowed. You not accepting the best from me is an insult, ya know." She swallowed nervously.

"You deserve nothing less, especially after what you've been through. I'm no cheapskate, ya hear?"

"I never said-"

"Just relax. Let me pamper you, Kagome."

"Why should I? Ya know, I barely know you, if you think about it."

"You want to know why?" She nodded. "Well, we got time, so I'll tell you. I'm alone, and I got nobody. The last time I had anyone in my life was long before you were born. She was human, of course, so I outlived her, and I couldn't bring myself to have anyone else in my life after that."

"Then why are you so interested in me if her death hurt you so much?"

He lowered his gaze to the table. "I don't know."

"Who was she? Tell me about her."

He looked into her eyes; his soul openly revealed. "Her name was Kikyo. She was a Shinto priestess, the most powerful in the region. She was the guard of the Musashi Shinto shrine."

"Musashi?!"

"Yes." Her eyes were full of shock. "Kagome, I am over 500 years old." His eyes pierced her as he spoke. She gasped and her right hand covered her mouth.

"I am immortal, so to speak. I don't know how long I will live, but I have not seemed to age for centuries."

"How do you hide your age? Does anyone know?"

"No. I move around a lot, and fake my death if needed." She dropped her hand to the table.

"Anyways, Kikyo was my first and only love. She was killed by the demon we were fighting; Naraku. While we fought him, his spider webs encased her and infected her with his poisonous miasma, and she was unable to purify her wounds. Her purifying light she shot from her arrow gave me just what I needed to destroy him. After he faded away, I held her to my chest as she slipped away in my arms."

"So, what did you do?"

"Well, let's just say I mourned her for centuries." He spoke matter of factly.

She could see the pain in his eyes. "Inu, I'm so sorry."

He chuckled and lifted his water glass for a sip. "For what? You didn't do anything."

"No. I'm sorry you went through all that. It must have been hard and painful."

"What would you know about painful?" He looked away.

"You're right, but only to a point."

"And how's that?"

"Well, I lost a father. Granted, he isn't that nice a man anyways, but it does hurt to know I can't have a father who truly shows he cares about his daughter. All he does is tell me what to do."

"Ya know, maybe that _is_ his way of showing affection for you. Some men are funny that way. I've known quite a few, believe me."

"How so?"

The waitress came by asking if they'd decided on their meals, and they each placed their orders. When the waitress left to set their orders, Inuyasha began his explanation.

"Think about it; I had a lot of interactions with the good fathers, the bad fathers, and the very ugly ones who would sell their daughters if it meant they'd make some money out of the arrangement. People have ultimately changed over the centuries, but some haven't left the old years, like they came back to continue to treat others badly again, or something."

"I see. So, sounds like you had quite a few adventures, huh?"

"Well, of course. Fought spirits, bandits, nasty people, and poltergeists you wouldn't want in your neck of the woods."

"Wow. So, why me? Am I your new adventure?"

He looked at her funny. "What are you trying to get at?"

"Well, I don't know. It just sounds like you need me more than I need you." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Listen, I like you, alright? Is that so wrong?" She smiled. "What? What more do you want to know?"

"Just say it: you need me." Kagome said with a crooked smile.

He looked away for a moment. _'She's right, I guess I do need her.'_

"Okay, I need you." He turned his gaze back to hers. "But until you said that, I didn't think of it that way."

"Why do you need me?"

He thought for a second. "Well, here's something you don't know about men. There's a reason why men are generally the ones that take charge of everything, take the forefront of the projects and make a lot of money. They work hard, want a family and a wife. Without anyone to take care of, or protect, men are nothing."

She sat back in her chair and her mouth opened slightly. "I don't believe men are worth nothing without being able to do those things."

"What do you know?" He looked off to the left, out the window at the people walking past the window.

"Well, if that were the case, then men who don't want families, and don't want responsibility wouldn't exist. As far as someone who has a tender heart is concerned, you're right, but not all men fall into that category."

He looked back to her. "Well, maybe, but that is how I've always felt. I don't know any other way to feel."

"Then who have you been living for all those years?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

The waitress arrived with their sushi and tempura. She set their plates before them and wished they'd enjoy their meals. They both broke their chopsticks and started eating silently. The food was wonderful.

Kagome looked up from her sushi to watch Inuyasha eat before her. He didn't look up, or pay any attention to her as he ate. She then let it go and continued to eat quietly.

Later, they left the Café and Inuyasha led them further away from his apartment building. "Where are we going now?" Kagome asked.

"I want to see what's new at the book store."

"What books do you read?"

"Oh, I don't really buy literature books or anything like that. I buy comic books and the like."

"Oh."

"What do you do in your spare time?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I embroider shirts, sew pillows, things like that."

"Oh, okay. Well, I think the bookstore has some crafty books and such." They entered the store.

"I'll be in the manga section. Let me know if you want anything." He stepped off to the left and disappeared into the back section.

Kagome sighed and just continued on forward. She picked up a book on the nearest shelf on cooking various sushi dishes. She perused it for a minute and then set the book down. She meandered for a while, looking at books here and there, not finding anything of interest until she saw a book off in the corner on her right. It was a book on parents and living with abuse. She opened the book to read a passage that spoke to her about her father and the damage he had done. A tear fell from her left eye, and then her right. They sailed down her cheeks and landed on the page, nearly framing the passage. She sniffled, shut the book and set it under her arm.

She walked further into the store, and around the book stack to find the New Age section and found a book titled _Human and Spiritual Being Relationships_. She opened the book to find a chapter based on types of spiritual beings. She continued to read on, and found a chapter focusing on dog spirits. A picture similar to Inuyasha filled the first page. She gasped when it described him; the man watching over her. She shut the book and slid it back amongst the books on the shelf.

"What's wrong?"

Inuyasha had startled her. "Oh, nothing. I just got creeped out by something I saw in a book, that's all." He looked perplexed. "Let's go, I'm ready." She handed him the book.

"Okay." He took the book and they checked out. They quietly walked back to his apartment.

When they arrived, Inuyasha went back to his work in the living room, and Kagome retired to the bedroom.

She cracked the door, took out her cell phone and set her favorite music to play. She propped up the big pillows, settled onto the bed and picked up the book she got. She started reading from the beginning. She noticed the book revealed a pattern; one she was frighteningly familiar with. Tears fell quite a bit as she read, and it scared her immensely. After a couple hours of reading, she slapped the book shut, fell to her side and cried openly.

Inuyasha heard the thud and the cries. He stood from his chair and ran into the bedroom to see Kagome lying in the fetal position, holding her eyes as she cried. He looked down and saw the title of the book she dropped, _Signs Your Parents Are Toxic._ He sighed and looked at the woman wetting his bed with tears. He sat down on the bed and rubbed his right hand on her back.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She couldn't respond. "Is it something you read in the book?" She nodded. "Okay, come here."

He helped her sit up and lean in to cry on his chest. He held her close and rocked slightly as she continued to cry.

"Just let it out, Kagome. You'll feel better."

A little while later, her tears dried up, and she quieted down. She held onto him as he continued to rock.

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked.

She sniffled. "I just learned that my father is a toxic parent."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that my father is among those parents who have hurt their children emotionally and psychologically without caring about what they've done to them."

"Oh."

"And I also learned that my mother is a part of it all. She's passive aggressive, and that can do a lot of harm too."

"I see. Well, you won't have to worry about that anymore, now that you're here." She looked up at him.

"I'm here and I won't treat you that way." She blinked, but said nothing.

"Kagome, if there is one thing I can promise you, it's that I know how to love another, and I will never hurt you on purpose."

She sniffed and hugged him as she cried tears of elation. He rubbed her back and started to rock again.

"Thank you, Inu."

"You're welcome, Kagome."

They remained like that for a while longer. Later, he left the room when she felt better. She'd pulled out her journal and wrote how her day went.

He sat down in his chair, before his computer, and looked at the picture he was working on before Niagara Falls hit his bedroom. He saved the file and pulled up a new blank page. He chose a pencil tip in the program and began to draw something new. He started with the left eye. He drew the circle for the iris, and then the colored it in. He framed the eye-line and then moved onto the right eye, following suit. Then the nose, the lips, and the frame of the head. He continued to draw, and the face that formed on the page turned out to be a likeness of the woman he was just holding what felt like a moment ago. He continued to add detail after detail, and before he knew it, his head hit the desk.

Kagome heard a thump. Out of concern, she set her journal down and headed down the hallway into the living room. She stopped when she saw him passed out and the face that stared back at her from the screen. She looked up at the oval shaped mirror on the wall above the computer screen and saw he had drawn her face. Tears fell from her eyes again as she smiled and giggled. He stirred a bit, and she darted from the room. He rubbed his eyes, and lifted his head from the desk to look upon his work. He saved it under the title, "Injured Heart" and set his computer to sleep.

He stood from his chair, stretched and yawned and made his way toward the hall to see the bedroom light go off through the cracked doorway. He continued into the bathroom and shut the door.

Kagome released her breath as she stepped away from the wall beside the door and crawled into bed. She pulled the white and fluffy down covers up to her chin and smiled in the dark over how he'd depicted her. It was a realistic portrait of her and was the most beautiful likeness she'd ever seen. It also opened the door into his heart on how he saw her. She knew then that she was in the right place, with the right person. For the first time in her life, she was with someone who cared.

After a few moments in the bathroom, Inuyasha flushed the toilet, dropped his shirt and jeans into the hamper, and put on his red sleep pants, he quickly brushed his teeth, and spit into the sink. He turned off the light, opened the door, and then sleepily padded down the hall into the living room. He sighed, and grabbed his spare pillow and fluffy white blanket. He draped the blanket over the expensive, but comfortable couch, slapped the pillow down against the arm rest and flicked off the lamp on the side table beside the couch.

He slipped under the blanket and settled his head into the small pillow. As he continued to lay there in the silent dark, his eyes roamed toward the hallway. He could see the curtain filtered street light glare peek through the crack in the door. His canine ears listened to every sound, wondering if Kagome was asleep as she was leading him to believe. Her breathing was not yet uniform, meaning she was probably lying awake in his bed staring up at the ceiling. He raised his right arm to rest under his neck as his gaze shifted to the wall across from him.

He thought about his feelings about everything that had happened the past couple days and nights. This woman just kinda fell in his lap, literally, and she hadn't left his life since. The strong pull he felt toward her was odd, to say the least. There was something about her he just couldn't place, and his brain just wasn't dropping the subject. He wanted to be with her, beside her, comforting her. However, what she'd said earlier was correct, that she didn't ask for any of this. And yet he wouldn't have it any other way. He chocked it all down to being instinctual, but even that didn't make sense. He closed his eyes and tossed aside the question of how long he'd been laying there obsessing, and tried to slip away into another world for a change. Soon, the apartment's silence was complimented by Inuyasha's loud snoring.


	3. Chapter 3

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 3

The next morning, Sunday, neither of them woke up with the sun. They both fought as long as they could, until the bathroom called them both at the same time. Kagome was about to emerge from his bedroom when he walked around the corner and right into the bathroom, closing the door behind him as if he hadn't seen her. She huffed, and waited in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. When the toilet flushed and he opened the door, he looked up at her and his tired eyes awoke. There she stood before him, half naked, draped in a see-through teddy.

His bottom jaw dropped. He slapped his hand over his eyes and said, "I didn't see anything, I swear," and then slinked around the corner.

She giggled and shut the door. She laughed quietly as she did her business. Inuyasha removed his hand in the safety of the living room. He could not believe she would dare wear something like that with the possibility that he would see. He believed she'd dressed that way on purpose to torture him. Her petite body was tight, firm, and curved in all the right places. The best body he'd seen in centuries, and his blood rushed just as the image leapt into his head. This beautiful woman would soon be the death of him if he didn't set some boundaries. He looked down and noticed he'd forgotten to button the fly on his sleeping pants, and he hoped she hadn't noticed.

A few moments later, the bathroom door opened, and she stepped across the hall, and into the bedroom, cracking the door again. He looked down the hall, and happened to see the door was cracked just enough to see her walk past. He gulped, and forced himself to look away. She started to softly hum, which drove him crazy. Her voice was so smooth, soft, and relaxing. And yet, the tune she hummed sounded romantic, sweet, and beautiful.

He closed his eyes and slumped into his couch. He rested his head on the armrest, and let himself go. With every verse, he felt a burning sensation in his nether regions. He continued to listen, and just felt himself begin to lose control. He began to pant, and sweat. His eyes clinched shut as his hands gripped the pillow and the blanket. He opened his eyes to get a hold of himself. He leaned forward, and put his hands over his tender ears, but that only amplified the sensual sound of her voice. He couldn't ask her to stop, that would just call her to come to him and see him in this embarrassing state. He grabbed the pillow and placed it over his hardness and took some deep breaths. He heard her hums grow louder as she left the bedroom and into the bathroom again.

She closed the door, but that barely buffered her voice. He shook his head, and stood from the couch. He made his way toward the bedroom since she was occupied across the hall. He kept the pillow against his manhood in case she happened to change her mind. He let go of the breath he held once he arrived in the bedroom and shut the door behind him. He dropped the pillow, and went to his dresser. Grabbed his essentials, and clothes, a few other things, and high tailed it back into the living room to change out of her sight. First of all, he needed to take care of something personal before she finished cleaning up, so he grabbed what he needed, and slipped into the closet beside the front door to work it off in private. A few minutes later, he left the closet secure, dressed, and ready to face the woman who drove him insane just a moment ago.

Thankfully she hadn't left the bathroom yet, so he went about his business, and started breakfast in the kitchen while he waited for her. Suddenly, she stopped humming, and vacated the bathroom. She appeared from around the corner and leaned against the wall behind him as he cooked. She stayed silent as she watched him work.

He cracked an egg, let the yolk and whites drop into the large glass bowl on the counter, and whisked the eggs together before he poured them into the sizzling skillet. Once the fizzling sound filled the kitchen, she took a seat and watched him. He turned to reach for the milk and caught a glimpse of the vision that sat expectantly at his table with a smile.

"Oh, hi. Didn't know you were there." He feigned ignorance, as his ears knew she was there the entire time.

"Don't mind me, I'm just enjoying watching you cook."

He chuckled. "Really. It's just eggs, nothing special."

"Still, it's eggs made by you, Inuyasha."

The sound of her voice saying his name caused his manhood to burn again. _'Apparently once wasn't enough.'_

After a couple minutes, Inuyasha separated the eggs out onto the two plates beside the stove and placed a fork on each plate, and walked the plates to the table. One before Kagome, and one before the nearest chair across from her. He turned, grabbed the two glasses of milk and sat down, and he gently slid her share to her. He started to eat and glanced up to see her cheeks flushed and an odd look in her eyes as she looked at him.

"What?" He asked with egg in his mouth.

She nervously shook her head and said, "Nothing." She spooned some egg into her mouth and looked away sheepishly.

Inuyasha looked down and saw that he was ready again, and sighed. His left hand went to his eyes, and he said, "Sorry about that."

"Sorry for what?" She asked, obviously hiding what she'd seen.

"What?" They both stared at each other for a moment, and looked away blushing.

"Just forget it." He started eating again. She looked to her plateful of golden fluffy goodness and started to eat as well.

Later, Kagome decided to venture out on her own and visit the bookstore again for some books she had in mind, while Inuyasha stayed behind to work on more animations.

Kagome enjoyed being out in the sun on a decent street full of shops of all kinds. She bought a craft book, and a romance novel to read, at the bookstore. She walked further out to find a small boutique that sold intricate clothes. She tried on a few outfits, and bought what looked good on her. She left the boutique with a smile on her face, and then she found a jewelry and accessory shop across the street. As she crossed to the other side, she noticed a strange man who sat on a nearby bench; he was watching her. Her smile melted as she eyed him, but she continued toward the shop.

The man lifted a flipped open cell phone to his left ear and said, "I found her. Yeah. She's shopping in the Rokan District. Yeah. No, no sign of him, she's alone. Yeah. Alright, consider it done." He slapped the phone shut and slipped it back into his shirt pocket.

Kagome continued to shop for earrings to match her new outfits and found a mid-length silver chain with a beautiful, large, and clear stone charm on it. She bought them, and then slipped the necklace over her head and admired how it draped across her clavicle bones and settled below her neck. The stone reflected the lights surrounding the oval mirror she looked into. It was pure, and inviting. She felt it was made for her.

When she stepped out through the store front, she noticed the man still sat on the bench, looking at her through reflective sunglasses. She turned to the right, and walked down the sidewalk toward Inuyasha's flat. The man stood and followed a distance behind. She saw him behind her in the reflection of the glass door of the nearby shoe store. Her breath hitched in her throat as she picked up the pace. He maintained the distance behind her. She started to run, and he followed suit.

Soon, she darted across the street between cars, opened the door to the building, and ran up the stairs. Inuyasha heard the slam of the door hitting the wall down the stairs, stood from his chair and darted to the hall. He swung the door open and helped her in before he slammed the door shut and looked through the peep-hole in the door. The man entered the outer door and looked up at the door at the top of the stairs for a moment, and then walked out.

"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" He asked as he turned to look upon her as she panted and leaned against the wall beside him.

"I don't know. I was shopping, and I noticed he was looking at me. When I noticed he was following me, I ran back here. I have no clue who he is, or what he wants, but I'm scared to go out alone now." Her hands gripped her shoulders tightly as she looked down and shuddered.

Inuyasha turned to her when she slid down the wall to rest on the floor, and pulled her legs to her chest. He put his hand on her right knee. "Hey, I'm here. If you want me to, I'll leave with you if you need to go somewhere."

"Would you, please?" He nodded, and looked her in the eye. "Thank you, Inu." Her legs slid to the floor and she leaned in as he held her close to comfort her.

A moment later, he picked her up and sat on the couch with her beside him, and held her a bit longer. Her breath labored against his chest, warming his skin through his shirt with each exhale. Then he felt the tears through the thin fabric.

"Hey, hey... Don't cry, its okay. I'm here. Just relax, it's over, okay?"

He rubbed her back to calm her for a moment when she looked up at him, their noses barely touched. They eyed each other for what seemed like an eternity, neither could look away from the powerful gaze. Before they knew it, their lips touched slightly.

She looked away. He softly lifted her chin his way, and said, "It's okay, I won't hurt you." She swallowed, but let him lean in.

The kiss started out tender, and gradually deepened, as he held her tightly to his chest. Their breaths matched as they savored each other's taste and soft lips. The sensation of the kiss heightened their emotions and senses for just a few moments, until he pulled away. Her lips were swollen, and flushed. He gently touched her bottom lip, and looked into her dilated eyes. Then he gently pulled her back into his chest and held her. He rested his head on hers until the muscles in her shoulders released.

Then his voice ended the silence with, "I promise to protect you, Kagome. No matter what, I will always protect you." His arms tightened around her shoulders.

"I know. With you holding me, I have nothing to fear." She leaned back and looked up at him. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" He looked down into her eyes tenderly.

"I don't know what I would do without you. The world out there scares me, and I don't like being afraid."

"I know. I don't know what's going on, but I will get to the bottom of it, I promise."

He looked up at the door and thought about the man looking up at his door from the bottom of the stairs. He was checking the door number.

' _He must be looking to see where she is now. Was that the guy with the binoculars across the street from her apartment?'_

They stayed inside the rest of the day into the night. When it came time to sleep, Inuyasha walked Kagome into his bedroom, and before letting her disrobe, he shut the blinds completely, and then the curtains.

"These blinds and curtains will remain closed from now on. I don't like that you're being followed here in my neck of the city. I had hoped my place would be safer, but I guess we need to take precautions even now."

He crossed the room to stand before her, and did one last glance at the windows and then turned his eyes on her, as his hands rested on his hips. "Look, I'll be on the couch. If you're scared, or you hear a noise and I don't stir, wake me, okay?"

She nodded and said, "Okay, I will."

She looked into his eyes, and felt the pull again. He ended the gaze and stepped around her and into the hallway, leaving the bedroom to her. He checked the padlock on the apartment door and went into the living room.

She looked out the door to see him standing before the couch as he lifted off his shirt. He itched his shoulder and stretched before he knelt onto the floor and then settled into position for push-ups.

As he exerted himself, she couldn't help but watch him silently. His physique was perfection, but also slim. The muscles in his arms pulsed with his movements, and his lips opened with each exhale. His hair fell forward around his neck, and draped down onto the floor as he worked out. She saw his feet, and noticed something protruding from the soles; something odd looking. She darted her head back from the doorway.

 _'Are those... paw pads?'_ She scratched her head and looked around the door frame again, and he looked in her direction. She backed away, lost her balance and fell back onto the floor with a thump.

Suddenly he was there, helping her up. "Kagome, what were you doing?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just lost my balance, that's all." She couldn't look at him, she was so embarrassed.

"Here, let me help you." He picked her up, laid her onto the bed and tucked her in. He sat down beside her and eyed her. He directed her gaze to his with his right index finger. "Why won't you look at me?"

"I-I... No reason."

"What, were you watching me?" He smirked.

She snorted. "No."

"Yeah, right. You're a bad liar." He chuckled. "Okay, well, have pleasant dreams. Goodnight."

He switched off the lamp beside the bed and left the room chuckling and scratching his head. Kagome's cheeks burned hot enough she thought they could be seen in the dark room that night.

Later that night, the padlock on the door snapped open, and the knob on the entry door turned slightly. Inuyasha snored loudly enough that neither tenant heard the door click open.

A man entered the apartment and silently made his way into the living room, shining a dim light on Inuyasha's bare back as he snored. The man turned and crept down the hall to crack open the bedroom door, and found the woman lying in the bed, on her right side, facing the closet, sound asleep. Suddenly, the man was thumped over the head and fell on the floor unconscious. The sound jolted Kagome awake. She sat up in the bed and saw a shadow of a man rustling something. She switched on the light shouting, "Who's that!"

Inuyasha covered his eyes and shouted, "Jeeze, Kagome! It's me!"

"Oh. It's you, Inu." She held her left hand on her chest as she panted. "Who's that?"

"I think it's the guy who was chasing you earlier. I don't know how, but he broke in."

"Oh, no. What are we gonna do?"

"I'm gonna call the cops and put his ass in jail, that's what."

He went to the table in the hall, and dialed the police on his cell. He stepped back into the room when they answered, and told them to get down there to collect the intruder. He slapped his phone shut when they acknowledged the request, sat beside Kagome, and held her.

"Don't worry, there's a knife in the drawer beside me in case he comes to before they get here." She gasped and he held her gaze with his strong eyes.

"I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, Kagome. Whatever it takes." She remained silent as he leaned in and kissed her tenderly for a moment, and then a knock sounded at the apartment door.

"Door's open! We're in the bedroom!" He shouted.

The cops raced in and immediately surveyed the scene as Inuyasha continued to hold Kagome.

"Did he threaten you, miss?" She shook her head and leaned into Inuyasha's shoulder. "What happened here?"

"He must have broken in while we slept. I heard a noise, rolled over on the couch and saw a man looking into the bedroom. I grabbed my flashlight, and smacked it over his head."

"Do you know this man?"

"No."

"Do you, miss?"

"No, officer. I didn't even know he was there or anything was going on until Inuyasha knocked him out."

"Have either of you seen this man before?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome. "That man followed me while I was shopping earlier today. He made me feel uncomfortable, so I ran back here. I never would have suspected he'd try to break in during the night."

"So you don't know this man personally?"

"No."

"Alright. We'll take him downtown for questioning."

They cuffed the unconscious man and carried him out of the apartment.

"If you need anything, sir, just give us a call and let us know," the cop offered as he tipped his hat toward them.

"Yes, actually. Can you place a cop to sit in the foyer, please? It seems the locks here are no longer safe. It's just until dawn, the locks will be replaced tomorrow," Inuyasha requested.

"Certainly, sir. Officer Tama will keep watch for tonight. Will you need surveillance after tonight, sir?"

"No, just tonight, thanks."

"You got it. Have a good night, sir, madam," the cop tipped his hat one last time, and vacated the flat.

Inuyasha let out a sigh and softly set his chin on her head. "I had no idea he would break in tonight. You sure you don't know that man?"

"No." After a moment's silence, she asked, "Did you happen to get a good look at the man behind the binoculars at the other apartment?"

"No. Just the circles of glass, and nothing more. Damn it. I'm sorry, Kagome."

"It's not your fault, Inu. I can't blame you for this."

"I was careless, but not anymore."

He stood from the bed, and walked out into the living room. Kagome heard some rustling and then heard him walk back. He entered the room, and shut the door. She watched as he tossed his pillow onto the bed beside her and then opened the side table drawer. He grabbed the large pocket knife, shut the drawer, and then clicked off the lamp. Kagome watched his shadow walk around to the other side of the bed and then climb in beside her.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?"

He slid in beside her, and held her to his warm, bare upper body and said, "I am not leaving your side tonight."

She couldn't say a word as he held her flush against his skin. She was tense, and nervous. "Relax, I won't take advantage of you, Kagome. You can trust I would let you know if I wanted more than just to protect you. Go to sleep, you're safe now."

It took her a moment, but she rested her head on his bicep and wrapped her right arm over his bare torso. She ran her fingers over his back, feeling the tight muscles under his soft skin. Suddenly, he reached over and removed her hand from his back.

"That tickles." He placed her hand against his chest and continued to hold her to his warm, strong body.

There was no hair on his chest. His lungs took in air deeply as he slept. In this position, Kagome found it hard to fall asleep. His warm body was beautiful, and she wished he'd left the light on so she could watch his chest rise and fall instead of just feeling it. Soon, she rested her ear against his chest to hear his strong heartbeat, and the air flow in and out of his lungs. His breaths rustled her bangs, which tickled her forehead. One thing was certain, he was comfortable enough to sleep, but not her. His energy kept her up a good chunk of the night with thoughts of going further than they were presently going.


	4. Chapter 4

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 4

The next morning, Kagome awoke to the alarm going off, and felt a heavy arm draped over her torso. His hand held her abdomen below her belly button. Kagome had shifted in the night and he'd been spooning her. His body was flush up against her back, and his other arm snaked under her armpit, while his hand held her upper chest just below her neck. His face was nestled against her neck, and his warm breath tickled her skin.

She tried to move her lower body, but his leg held her legs in place, and what was that against her lower back? She moved her rear again and gained a low moan.

"Stop moving," he said and held her tighter. Meanwhile, her alarm beeped loudly.

She tried to remove his hand from her chest, but he grabbed her hand and held it there as he wrapped himself around her even tighter.

"Inuyasha, its morning. You can let me go now."

She started to struggle, and moved her bottom against him again. He moaned and then moved her under him and pinned her arms and legs to the bed. "Don't do that unless you're asking for more."

The look in his eyes gained a gasp from her lips. He released her and climbed out of bed to slam the bathroom door shut. She couldn't move. She laid on the bed where he'd left her as the alarm beeped incessantly. A few moments later, after she slapped the alarm off, he walked out of the bathroom and back into the room to grab his clothes for the day.

He stopped and looked at her and asked, "What, you playing hooky today? Or are you gonna get dressed and ready to go to work?"

He left the room to get dressed and ready. She sat up in the bed, shook her head and grabbed her things. As she got ready in the bathroom, she couldn't help but wonder how he'd ended up wrapped around her entire body, and then act as if nothing had happened the entire night.

As she brushed her hair, she could still feel his hands on her body. His hold was firm, and yet tender. His hands had claw-like nails, but he never scratched her in the night. Maybe he really was telling the truth- that he only meant to protect her, and not take advantage. With those nails, he would have scratched her at least once if he'd tried anything. At that thought, she carried on as usual without any second thoughts of the night before, hoping he would spend the night with her again later that night to come.

On the train, Inuyasha was diligent in watching everyone around them. After the perp broke into his apartment that morning, he'd been on edge. He stayed by Kagome's side until they reached her father's building. His eyes were everywhere but on her as she set her hand to his shoulder.

At that moment, she finally caught his gaze. He handed her a piece of paper. "That's my number. Call me if you leave early or anything happens, and I'll be right here."

She nodded. When he was about to turn from her, she grabbed his left hand. He turned back to her. She leaned up, put her hands on his shoulders and he leaned in to kiss her.

"Thank you, Inu. If you leave early, call me. I'll leave early too," she handed him her card.

He nodded and then ran off. She smiled, turned and looked up the side of the tall glass building. "Well, back to work."

Her father stood at the window once again, watching the man kiss his daughter, and take the business card from her. His hands clinched into fists and his jaw clenched tightly.

"Sir, do you need me to fetch her for you?" Asked his assistant.

"Yes, bring her to me, now." The assistant left. "Kagome, this time you've left me angrier than ever."

A couple minutes later, the assistant let Kagome in the door and closed it behind her. "Father, you wanted to see me?"

He turned and faced his daughter with nothing but anger in his eyes. "You disappoint me, Kagome. You let that scum walk you to work again."

"Father, he's nothing but a gentleman who's been very kind, is all. You see, I've had some trouble lately, and he's been keeping me safe. You should thank him, father, not be angry about him."

"Oh, really. What about Tanaka? Hmm? What about him? How do you think he feels when he also sees you kissing a man on the street?"

"Father, you know how I feel about Tanaka. He's the reason I moved out. Don't make him pierce already deep wounds further."

"Kagome, he loves you, and always has. You grew up together, and he was your only friend, and you his. And this is how you repay him?"

"Father, he's changed. He's not the boy I used to know."

"What is that supposed to mean? Tanaka is a man, not a boy. A boy can't possibly take care of my daughter. Only a man can."

"One who thinks it's right to force himself on me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. He would never do such a thing."

"Father, you have never listened to me! He's not a good man! But Inuyasha-"

He pointed out the window. "That is his name? Inuyasha? You mean to tell me that you're kissing a man who is named Dog Spirit?! Over Tanaka?"

Kagome stood tall, and lifted her chin proudly when she said, "Yes, father."

"So, you aim to disgrace your family? Throw everything away for some hooligan off the street who obviously came from a less than desirable background?" His anger was boiling now, his face had turned red.

"I don't aim to disgrace anyone, father. You don't know him. Tanaka tried to force himself on me within two dates, whereas Inuyasha has only kissed me and promised to never hurt me. That is a promise Tanaka could never make."

"Kagome, I will give you one last chance. If you don't obey me, your father, and choose Tanaka, then you're no longer my daughter."

"Well, then, father, I guess I'm no longer your daughter. My choice is Inuyasha, and since I am a grown woman, you have no say in my decision of whom I'm allowed to love."

Her father began to shudder in anger as she turned to leave the office. She stopped when she grabbed the door knob, turned and said one last thing. "I quit. Goodbye, father. Tell mother I will love her always, and miss her greatly."

She turned the knob and exited the room full of tense atmosphere. Her father slammed his left hand on his desk.

Suddenly, his assistant entered the room to say, "Sir, a man named Muso is on the phone for you. He said you're his only phone call from jail."

"Send the call to me," he sat down, and his phone rang. "Muso, what happened?"

As she walked past the cubicles of office workers, tears fell from her eyes, and a smile grew on her face. She walked into her corner office, grabbed her personal belongings, and placed them in a nearby box. Once she had everything, she grabbed the box, and left her father's building for the last time. After she stepped out the door, she looked up as if to look into her father's eyes and said, "Goodbye, stressful and unhappy life. I'm on to better things."

She walked out of sight from the building and fetched her cell phone from her brown leather purse, unfolded the paper and typed the number into the phone.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha sat at his desk animating his next project when his cell phone vibrated in his right jean pocket. He picked it up, and saw that it was Kagome calling him. He flipped the phone open and said, "Hey, Kagome. You're calling early. Everything okay? Oh. Okay, I'll be there shortly. Okay, bye."

He flipped the phone shut, saved his work on his jump drive and logged out of the computer. On his way to the elevator, he shouted across the hall, "Hey, boss, heading out early, got an emergency!"

"Whatever, Inu."

"What's up? What emergency?" His co-worker asked as he passed by him.

"Oh, nothing. My new roommate is having complications with something, and she needs my help. I'll be back tomorrow. See ya!"

The elevator dinged and the doors opened for him. Once the doors closed, his smile melted away. She sounded cheerful over the phone, but leaving her job could only mean one thing—her father was being a jerk to her again.

Fifteen minutes later, Inuyasha appeared beside her about a block from her father's building. "Hey, I'm here. What happened?" He lifted her box under his arm and she stood from the bench she'd been sitting on.

"Oh, he saw us kiss this morning, and became furious. I stood up for myself is what happened, and nothing more."

"Kagome, there's something you're not telling me. What's really going on?" They started walking back to the train station.

"It's nothing shy of my father having higher expectations of me, in all aspects of my life. If he's not going to consider my feelings on the matter, then I don't want to call him father anymore."

Inuyasha stopped a moment. She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"You mean, you lost the rest of your family today aside from your job?"

"Yeah, but it's okay," she sighed and smiled. "Inuyasha, this is a new start for me; a new beginning. I can start out on my own, happily be myself, and not feel as if I'm not good enough."

"What did he do to make you want out? There's more to it than just getting upset at you dating me. What is it?"

"Well, can we get something to eat first? I'll tell you over brunch."

"Sure, let's go here. They have private rooms in the back," he held the door open for her to the restaurant Ayano's.

Inuyasha requested a private room, and the greeter guided them back. Once they sat upon the cushions at the low table, Inuyasha said, "Okay, now, tell me your story."

"Well, there's this childhood friend I had named Tanaka. We grew up together. However, as he grew older, my father took him under his wing, and trained him to take over the company, so to speak. Well, he changed. He's not the funny, energetic, crazy friend who always had something funny to say anymore. He's strict, stern, and business-like now. My father and his father made a pact that he and I would get married and carry on the family business. Well, I chose a different path."

"How so?"

She looked up from the wood table before them. "I met you. I met you, and everything in my life changed. I realized there was another path I could take. Before I fell into your lap, I was contending with Tanaka and his bullying, his dark attitude, and his sharp tongue. He stopped saying nice things to me like he used to. For a long time, I did want us to get married, and he was heartbroken when I turned down his latest proposal. That day, he tried to force himself on me in my office. He pinned me to my desk and accosted me." She held her shirt when she mentioned the last part.

"No..."

She nodded. "I kicked him off me, shut the door on his face and locked it so he couldn't get back in. It created quite the scene at work. He's never forgiven me for that embarrassment, or so he's said."

"What is your father thinking? And here I was assuming that he was being an over-protective father. Instead, he's an ass-hat who doesn't deserve any child with how he's corrupted Tanaka."

"I know…" Tears began to fall from her eyes again. She sniffed and wiped them away.

Inuyasha reached across the table and held her left hand. Kagome looked at him in surprise.

"Am I to believe you have chosen me?"

"Well, you're the only man I've ever known to treat me as a woman, and not some piece of ass who can produce children and make some asshole happy when he got home. I'm not saying we have to get married, or anything. I'm just thankful that you're here and that I can trust you. I was beginning to think that I wasn't allowed to be happy."

"Kagome, you know that's not true. Everyone deserves happiness. Just because your father doesn't know love from a hole in the ground doesn't mean you're not worthy of love from others."

He reached his other hand to her chin. "You're beautiful, talented, kind, and you're worth every penny. The fact that you turned out this wonderful under the thumb of someone so undeserving of you is amazing, Kagome."

She smiled. "Thank you, Inu. You aren't so bad yourself. After hearing what little you've told me about your past, I'm glad you're still here too."

His hand pulled away from her chin and his gaze dropped to the table. "Yeah, my past is just that—my past. I don't focus on it, nor do I let it define me. I used to, but then I realized it just made me anti-social. I was so alone for so many years that I was thinking just like you—that I wasn't meant to be happy again. After Kikyo's death, I lost my heart along with her. I felt like I had no reason to go on, but I couldn't go through with killing myself. I thought I would just exist, and see how long I'd live."

"So, you didn't have any other relationships before me all that time?"

"Yeah. I was always alone. And on top of that, since I'm only half human, I don't sleep much. I'm a light sleeper since I have these ears." He lifted the cap to show his ears a smidge.

"I see. No wonder why you were able to sneak up behind the burglar."

"Yeah, I sleep in short spurts—cat naps as most people call them. And since I don't interact with others much, I mainly work on my projects, and get them done quickly. I'm a workaholic because I have no life, literally. But, I can't complain, I love my work. I enjoy it. I have so many stories to tell that it gives me a chance to see my past in a different way, and kill off those who pissed me off in my anime's," he chuckled.

Kagome laughed. "So, who writes the scripts and such?"

"I do. I write the stories, set up the scripts, and do some of the animations and art."

"Oh, I had no idea!"

"Yep, all the animes that come out of Shibuya Studios are mine," he smiled proudly.

"So far, the ones I've caught on television are good. I like the movies too, I go to see them every now and then. They are amazing. Wow, I never knew I would meet the mastermind behind them," Kagome smiled.

"Yup, it takes someone with quite a past and quite a lot of stories to tell to find this kind of success in the business. And since I am so dedicated in my work, we push the animes out quicker than most other studios. That's why I get such high bonuses."

"That's wonderful, Inu."

"So, now that you've wiped your career into the gutter, what are you gonna do now?"

Just then, the waiter knelt into the room and asked if they were ready to order. They ordered their sushi and drinks, and the waiter left.

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't had the chance to think about it yet."

"What did you do at your father's firm again?"

"I was just a paralegal. Not high up in the food chain, but since I was his daughter, I got the corner office anyways. Everyone was jealous of me, but I didn't have a choice in the matter. It really cost me a lot of friends I'd made before I achieved my college degree. But, I thought that they weren't true friends if they would put something that trivial before their feelings for me, so I let it go and moved on."

"Ya know, there are a lot of Paralegal jobs available. You can use my computer to apply if you need to."

"No, that's okay. I'm going to take some time off to make some decisions, if that's okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure if I'm going to go back into that line of work again or not. I think I might choose a different path instead. I have other skills that I can use in other lines of work, and I may be happier that way also."

"Okay. Well, like I said before, you are taken care of, no matter what happens. I still have plenty of money to support you for now, so feel free to take as much time as you need. If you decide you want to go back to school, just let me know."

Just then, their sushi was set before them, and they partook in silence. After they left the restaurant, they headed back home, and Kagome retired to the bedroom to read the book she bought the other day, and Inuyasha went back to the living room to continue working on his project.

He sent an email stating that he was nearly finished with the scans he was working on and that he planned to email them to his boss. His boss expressed gratitude by giving him a few days off, which Inuyasha decided to surf the net after finishing his work.

He looked up hot spring resorts nearby, and their rates. He found one across the island near Kyoto. It was a quaint Ryokan and hot spring combination resort. The food would be brought to the room, the hot springs were co-ed as well as separate, and he knew that since massage and therapy sessions would be included Kagome would be very happy. He booked a room with his credit card, and slipped it back into his wallet.

Later that night, after Kagome had finished getting dressed for bed, and snuggled up under the covers with the lamp on, continuing to read her book, Inuyasha closed the door to the bathroom, and changed into his sleeping pants, brushed his teeth, and combed his hair a little. He opened the bathroom door to see her light was still on. He stepped up to her door, and opened it further.

"Kagome?" She looked up from her book. "Can I join you tonight?" She eyed him for a moment, blush pinked her cheeks and she smiled. It took her a moment, but she patted the spot beside her.

He crossed the room and crawled into the other side of the bed, on top of the covers. He settled in on his back, his hands cradling his head on the pillow.

Kagome glanced at him after he settled in beside her. His eyes were closed, his face was relaxed, and his bare chest rose and fell with each breath. She couldn't help but continue to observe the perfection beside her. He smelled musky, his hair draped over the comforter like silk, and his ears continued to pulse with his heartbeat. He was an angel resting at her side.

Before she knew it, she'd been watching him for over ten minutes, according to the clock on the wall across from the bed, and still couldn't allow herself to look away from him for more than a second. A part of her wanted to reach out and touch his perfect, soft skin, but she feared what he would do. The way he reacted earlier that morning surprised her. He'd never looked at her that way, and being pinned beneath him scared her for a brief moment. He was serious, and if there was one thing he'd never done, it was lay boundaries.

"Inuyasha?" He moaned in response, his eyes remained closed. "I just want to know, since we're sharing the bed. Are there any boundaries I should be aware of?"

His eyes opened, and his head turned to look at her. "You mean, like what happened earlier this morning?" She nodded. "Well, first of all, I am willing to be there for you in any way you need me. However, only if you let me know first. Cuddling, snuggling, that sort of thing is always allowed, but touching can get messy."

"What do you mean?" He rolled her way, and propped his head up.

"I will let you know if I would like to 'be' with you before doing anything to you, and I wish for you to do the same. However, I want you to know that if you're not ready for that sort of thing, I will oblige you."

"I want you to know that I respect you, Kagome. I would never force myself on you, ever." They continued eye contact for a few silent moments.

"I do have a question, though. Since you're not working now, and I have a few days off this week, would you join me on a trip?"

"A trip?"

"Yes, it's a trip based on relaxation and cleansing. With your past as it's been, I'd like to start things fresh with you—a new way, and a new relationship for us both."

"You need cleansing, too?"

He looked down. "Well, in a sense. I don't know if you see what I see in this relationship, but I guess you could say that I need to cut some ties of my own before I make any more decisions, and this trip would give me a chance to see you in a different light, and see myself as I could be. With another, I mean."

"Inuyasha," she set down her book and held his right hand. "I didn't expect any of this to happen, but I can't deny that I am happy with you."

He looked up into her eyes. "I will go on this trip with you, and see what happens. Magical things can occur when we let ourselves go in another place."

"Good, we leave tomorrow, I already made reservations." She nodded and smiled, while excitement filled her eyes.

He looked deeply into her eyes, capturing them. She became lost in his golden irises. A moment later, they tenderly kissed. His lips were soft and supple, and caressed her lips. His tongue darted into her mouth, and swept over her tongue. He held her to him, embracing her. She moaned into his mouth as he tasted her. He rolled her beneath him, and her arms went up around his broad shoulders as his legs entwined with hers.

When he came up for air, her dilated eyes looked beautiful. "Kagome, would it be too fast if I said I think I'm falling for you?"

She shook her head. "I think I've fallen for you, too."

He kissed her with a bit more hunger, and hovered over her body as they made out under the sheets before falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 5

The next morning found them embracing beneath the bed sheet. Inuyasha on his back, and Kagome's body sprawled across him, with her left cheek on his bare chest. His right arm rested across her back, and his left hand draped over the left side of the bed. The sun peeked through the side of the blinds and curtains, right across his face. His eyes squinted open, golden irises shining through his lashes. He took in a deep breath and yawned. He looked down his nose to find her still asleep. He moved his left hand over and slipped it under hers to see that her small palm and almost the entire length of her slim fingers fit into the palm of his hand. He held her hand, and rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

She inhaled sharply and turned her face to his. Her eyes opened slightly and looked into his. They stayed looking into each other's eyes silently for a few moments.

"Morning." Inuyasha said softly with a smile.

"Morning. She replied.

"You hungry?" She moaned and nodded, snuggling into his skin. "Want eggs again? Or do you want to go out?"

She moaned again and brought her right leg higher onto his torso, holding him to her warm body. "I don't want to get dressed."

He shifted a little, and smiled. "Breakfast in bed then?" She nodded. He lifted her arm from him.

Later that morning, they grabbed their bags, engaged the new locks on his door, and left to catch the train to the Ryokan. Once on the train, Inuyasha lifted their bags up on the rack and then sat together in a two-seat row, facing forward. During the trip, Kagome's head remained nestled on Inuyasha's right peck, as he left her the window seat, to protect her. Her eyes were closed, and a smile continuously graced her relaxed face. He watched her off and on. Her face looked beautiful in her utopian state. He was doing it; he was falling in love once again.

He smiled at the thought that he was finally letting go of his past, and Kagome was just what he needed. Kikyo didn't compare to Kagome in any way. She was beautiful, sure, but her personality was night to Kagome's day. Kikyo was a little rough around the edges, and was quite the priestess in those days. During her existence, demons and spirits were the norm, and the main enemies in the land. She was the main protector of the Shikon jewel, and the only priestess worthy of protecting such a precious commodity. When he first met her, she'd shot some arrows at him, pinning him to a nearby tree. She never scared him, but he knew he had no chance against her might. Even though she was a mere human, she was stronger than most, and wielded her powers effortlessly against any demon of any size and strength.

As the train raced down the tracks, the train was jostled a bit when it switched tracks. His eyes diverted from Kagome's face to the window to see that they had hit the halfway mark, and were finally leaving the city. With nothing ahead of them but forests and rivers, he lifted Kagome's face to look her in the eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You have no idea how beautiful this place is we're going. I have a lot of things I want to show you, and a lot to tell you about my past. Kagome, I've asked you on this trip to get to know me a little better, and to show you who I am, where I'm from, and what I'd seen all these years. If we're meant to be, you'll love what you're about to see." He said with a smile. She returned the smile, and snuggled into his chest once again.

He watched the scenery pensively as he thought, _'I'm going home.'_

A couple hours later, they arrived at their destination and vacated the train. They started walking south from the train station in Kyoto. He lifted his backpack onto his back, and held her right shoulder as he led her down a dirt road surrounded by forest on both sides.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"We're going to a little Ryokan tucked out of the way from the road. It's secluded, so we'll be quite safe."

"Safe from what?"

"Safe from anyone trying to find you. Also, once we check in at the Ryokan, I have a few secret places to show you. It won't take long, I promise." He looked her in the eye and winked as he smiled.

The couple continued walking for another ten minutes until the sign covered by vines appeared on the right side of the trail. They entered the grounds, and walked into the wooden structure. The Ryokan looked to be centuries old. It was well-taken care of, and so quiet.

A large sign spelling out serenity graced the archway above the front desk.

Inuyasha checked them in, and they then walked off to the right, down the hall to their suite. He slid the shoji door open and stepped in. The room was decently sized, and a beautiful parting screen sat off in the corner. The closet housed their futon mattress, pillows and sheets. Kagome set her bag down and walked across the room to the shoji and slid it open to a gorgeous view of a private hot spring pool surrounded by bamboo and other flowering plants. She gasped in awe. Inuyasha stepped up beside her and turned her to face him. He held her softly and asked, "What do you think?"

She looked at him with starry eyes. "Oh my, Inu... I-"

"You what?" He asked as he started to kiss her neck.

Chills shot down her spine and her body began to react to his lips on her skin. He held her closer and continued to kiss and suckle her skin. "Is it more than you expected?" he asked against her skin.

"Yes." She barely spoke as his lips then found her mouth, and they kissed uncontrollably for a few minutes.

Once they came up for air, he then knelt to the ground with his back to her. "Get on." She looked at him oddly. He looked over his shoulder. "Trust me, just get on. I want to take you somewhere." She stepped up to his back. He wrapped his arms around her legs, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He rose from the ground, gaining a chuckle out of her at the height.

Suddenly, she screamed as he leapt from the window, landing on the ground past the hot spring. He took off in a blinding run. She yelped and gasped all the way as he continued running fast, jumping up into the trees. He leapt from branch to branch, holding tightly onto her legs the whole way. She quickly lost her bearings, but completely enjoyed the view his traveling provided her.

"Almost there!" he shouted. She whooped and hollered excitedly as he continued a little way more. Suddenly, they leapt down from a rather craggy looking tree, and he knelt down, letting go of her legs. She stepped aside and he stood before her looking outward at the clearing.

It was completely quiet in the clearing, surrounded by the tall trees. "Inuyasha, where are we?" He turned to face her, his face was serious, determined, and pained.

"This place, this clearing, is where I first met Kikyo." She looked around, turning to see every detail. "It looked the same as it does now. Nothing's changed since then; amazing."

"Tell me, what happened that day?" She sat down before him. He looked up and walked past her. She turned to see him walking up to a tree.

He touched the bark. "This tree was the tree her arrows pinned me to when I first encountered her. She was a strong priestess, and unafraid of even me. Only she was ever able to stop me in my tracks. I guess you could say that I loved that fact about her. She was the only woman I allowed to best me in anything, and she often fought me if needed."

He turned to face her. "I'd heard about the Shikon jewel's abilities, and sought out the priestess protecting it. I knew nothing about her, and rushed in foolishly. At first I thought she would surely kill me. She could have, but chose not to. I had no clue as to why, but soon learned that she spared me because we wanted the same thing; release from her own hell."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"She wanted a normal life—to fall in love, have children, and a family. Me, I wanted to become a full spirit, but most of all, I hated being alone, and ridiculed. I wanted respect I couldn't have. When we finally expressed ourselves and opened up our hearts, we learned we needed each other."

"Then what happened?"

"We fell in love. We planned to wish on the jewel—for me to become human, and her to become my wife."

"Wait, how did you decide to set aside your desire to become a full spirit?"

"I realized she could never be with a true spirit, being the priestess she was-she'd kill me. Not only that, but I would be respected, understood, and accepted. It was a worthy trade-off."

"But, you already had her respect, right? Why did she ask you to change?"

"She didn't ask me, I made that decision. I wanted to be with her completely. I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want to ruin her reputation. I wanted to die with her, not outlive her like I have."

"So, what happened?"

"Well, some bandit got in the way, and killed her before we could meet to wish upon the jewel and free ourselves. She nursed that bandit after a bad fire. He wanted her as well, so he handed his body and soul over to a hoard of demons and became a half demon of hell. He was a shape-shifter, and was able to disguise himself in any way he wished. He destroyed what we had by pitting us against each other. He attacked each of us in the other's form to make us believe one had betrayed the other, and then she died of the wounds he'd inflicted on her while fighting me. Needless to say, the villagers acquired the jewel after I ran off on my own again. The jewel disappeared soon after. It was reported that it was handed down to a secluded village somewhere, but no location was ever given. I couldn't trust another living soul for a long time. Then, I met this monk who'd apparently been searching for the same enemy.

"We joined forces and searched for this demon, who named himself Naraku. At first, I knew nothing about him. It was the monk who cleared everything up. His name was Miroku. During our travels and searching, we ran into a demon slayer who was fighting a large demon, a bear to be exact. During her fight, something happened. Somehow, the bear had acquired the jewel, and had grown ten times its original size. As the demon slayer was fighting the bear, her weapon shattered the jewel, and the pieces scattered throughout the countryside.

"Oh, my..."

"We then embarked on a journey to gather up the pieces of the jewel. Long story short, Naraku and I became stronger and stronger on the journey, and fought. In the end, I killed him, the jewel was then placed in a safe place, and I walked off into the sunset."

"Really? That's it?"

"No. That's the short version. The longer version lasted at least five years."

"And you lived the rest of your life up until now alone?" He nodded. "Oh, Inu. I couldn't imagine what all is in your mind, reliving all this." She looked around once again.

"Yeah, well. I'm past it all, and I'm doing better nowadays. So, there's another place to show you." He knelt with his back before her, she climbed on, and they were off once again.

This time, they stopped at the nearest beach. He knelt and she stepped away, eyeing the beautiful scenery. She turned to him a moment later and asked, "What happened here?"

He stepped up beside her and looked out at the water. "It was here I professed my love to Kikyo."

She eyed him for a few moments as thoughts ran through his head. "I'm so sorry, Inu."

"Don't be. She fought with me 'til the end. She was there up until just before I killed Naraku."

"Wait, I thought you said she died from her injuries from Naraku."

He looked at her. "She did, but a witch named Urasue resurrected her fifty years later."

"Why? How?"

"She resurrected her into a body made of clay and her own ashes from her gravesite. She called down her soul and re-animated her body. She helped us find the shards. She fought Naraku the best way she knew how, but was killed in the end by his miasma. Her clay body couldn't handle the corrosion, and being the only strong priestess in the area, no one could save her. She held on with her wounds for as long as she could, living on the souls of women who had passed on, but ultimately succumbed in the end.

"I'm so sorry, Inu."

He looked down at the sand. "She was strong, but not strong enough. During that journey, I realized what the jewel could do to me, and that there is more to me than I ever thought possible."

"What do you mean?"

"I learned I could never achieve my goal, no matter what I did, or how hard I tried to control it. While using the jewel, I became a cold blooded demon, Kagome." She gasped. "My appearance changed, my blood grew hot, and I was overcome with the desire to kill, even those I considered my close comrades." He looked upon her. "I tried to kill Kikyo."

"Oh, Inu..."

"That was when I decided I wanted nothing with the jewel, but to destroy it. Many sought it, and prized the shards and what they were capable of while using them, but only we knew what the jewel truly was. A ball of corruption, no matter how chaste the heart of the holder."

"So, what happened to the jewel after that?"

"Kikyo made the correct wish before she died. She wished the jewel to disappear from this world. After her wish was granted, she passed on. It took the very last vestiges of her soul to make the wish. Ultimately, it was her that made killing Naraku possible. When the jewel no longer existed, neither did the one thing that held him together. I was then able to use Tetsusaiga to destroy him."

"What's Tetsusaiga?"

He turned to look on her. "My sword." He knelt before her again. They took off one last time, and he took her to a mansion surrounded by bamboo, and vines.

He let her down and said, "This is my family's home. Well, my half-brother's home to be more precise." She followed him into the mansion, down the hall and into a wide room that reminded her of a dojo. Off in the corner was a case embedded into the wall. He slid the door open and grabbed an old sword in a beat-up scabbard. He drew the sword, which looked as misused as the sheath. He whipped it around like it weighed nothing for a few moments.

He looked at her with a mischievous look on his face and asked, "Wanna see something crazy?" She shrugged.

He held the sword before him in both hands and a bright light surrounded the blade and spanned out as the sword transformed. Once the light dissipated, she gasped in shock. The sword had completely transformed into an oversized blade, and the tsuba became a tuft of bushy, white fur.

She walked up to him and touched the blade. "It's real!"

"Yep. This is the sword handed down to me by my late father. This is the weapon that destroyed Naraku."

"I believe you." She looked upon his form. Holding his sword, he looked epic. He looked confident, and ready for a fight. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah. This is the first time I've held the sword in centuries. I think it missed me."

He laid the glistening blade in his left hand and looked upon it with a soft smile. "Even though those times were the most turbulent I've ever had, I do miss having a reason to hold Tetsusaiga."

Kagome walked to his side and put her hand on his shoulder. "I wish I could have been there. It must have been amazing to see you wield it."

He looked to her. "Want to see what I can do?" She smiled and nodded. "Follow me."

He led her out into the forest, a short distance away from the mansion. "Stay back."

She stepped behind him as he held the sword in his hands, in a basic stantz. He lifted the sword over his head, the tip nearly reaching three to five feet behind him, and swung it down while yelling, "Kaze no Kizu!"

A bright light and turbulent wind flew out from the blade, and careened forward, decimating the trees and grass before them, nearly paving a new path through the forest. Kagome covered her eyes from the debris, as Inuyasha stood and smiled at the destruction. Once the dust had settled, Kagome looked at the three immense, claw-like scars he'd placed on the ground, and couldn't believe her eyes.

"You okay?" He asked, and she snapped out of her trance.

She guffawed and laughed in shock. Inuyasha then showed her another technique, dealing more destruction.

She enjoyed watching him show off his abilities. To her, he finally came alive. This was the true Inuyasha, the man she fell in love with. A capable protector who was willing to go to any lengths to keep her safe. This is the man Kikyo fell in love with—Inuyasha, the warrior. It all began to fall into place. She needed him as much as he needed her.

The forest was his element, and his true world. She noticed he was more relaxed, more unhinged, and more himself.

After a few laughs, and his arsenal was revealed, she asked, "So, Inuyasha, I have a question."

"What's that?" He asked as they made their way back into the mansion.

"Where have all the demons and spirits gone?"

He didn't answer for a few moments. When he placed the sword back on the stand in the cabinet he replied, "They're all in hiding."

"Hiding? How? Where?"

He turned and faced her with a serious look in his eyes. "They are no longer able to be out in the open. Most of the spirits are forest and animal spirits. These days, however, they are no longer believed in or understood. Ever since Buddhism was abolished and other religions took over, demon slayers all died out, and they no longer had enemies to fight with, save for themselves. Now, they hide, biding their time for more turbulent times."

"I see. So, without the monks, and priestesses, they have no reason to fear?"

"Basically. They come out to torment tourists every now and then, but other than that, they value their lives now more than they did then since they have no reason to fight."

"What about you?"

"What _about_ me?"

"You know, are there others like you who are hiding in society like you are?"

"Some are, but they scatter themselves to keep their identities safe." He replied as they stepped out from the mansion and back into the forest.

"Has anyone ever found out? I mean, anyone other than me?"

Inuyasha stopped and turned to her. "No. You are the first since Kikyo."

"I see. Have you run into any of the demons/spirits you knew back then?"

"No, and I'm glad of it. That's not something I need right now. These are times of peace, and I would rather it last than end in blood. I think I've shed and smelled enough of it."

"I have a tough question to ask. Did you ever kill any humans?"

He stopped and grabbed her shoulders in anger. "I am NOT answering that question. Kagome, never ask me that again, you hear me? That is not a question to ask so lightly." He then knelt before her as before. "I'm taking you back to the Ryokan. Get on, the history lesson is over."

Later, after they arrived back at the Ryokan, he left her there, telling her to enjoy the hot spring for a bit and that he'd be back soon. He slid the shoji closed and walked off quietly.

She undressed and then stepped out into the hot spring. She leaned against the wooden wall and sighed. The afternoon was wild, amazing and unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. His world is full of nature, rugged, and simple. He was unlike anyone she'd ever met before, and learning about his past was exciting.

Deep down she wished she'd been saved by him during those times. She longed for a simpler life than the one she was living now. She felt like an outcast, and also felt weak beside him. She wished she held a place in his past as well. She almost felt jealous of Kikyo, Miroku and everyone he fought with. They got to know him back then, when he was young, wild and quite the warrior.

Now, he draws on a computer and writes stories. His life seemed to be more of a contradiction. She figured that, since he was a warrior long ago, that he'd be involved in the military or something, not a storyteller/artist. He had laid down his sword for a peaceful and uneventful life.

As the hot spring relieved the tension in her shoulders, from holding on to him for dear life, she closed her eyes and succumbed to the scents of the flowers surrounding the spring. Birds chirped, water fell from a small water spout nearby, which tickled her ears and relaxed her spirits.

"I could so get used to this," she said as she let go and quieted her mind in a form of meditation.


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

 **Being Watched**

Chapter 6

Inuyasha ran through the forest. Trees flew by, branches nicked his shirt as he blew through, on a mission. He continued on for a while until he came upon a clearing, and a hut in the middle of it. He casually walked to the hut and knocked on the wood beside the door. A face appeared behind the wood slats at the top of the door. The door then slid open and a young man flew out and excitedly embraced Inuyasha with a smile.

"You came out! Wow! How many years has it been?"

"Too long, Shippo, too long. How're the kids and the wife?"

"Oh, crazy as usual. And you? You still in construction?"

"Naw, I gave that up a long time ago. I'm in art now—drawing and writing characters—scripts for anime's, actually."

"You? Drawing?! Don't lie."

"Nope, it's true, I'm now an animator for Shibuya Studios."

"What's that?" This little voice came from behind him.

He turned around and saw a young fox spirit who was just about the size and age Shippo was when he happened upon him centuries ago.

"Hey, Taro. How've you been, you little terror?" Inuyasha replied while giving the fox kit a noogie.

"Hey! Stop messing up my hair!" Shippo turned and laughed. He sat down beside Inuyasha and the kit and set a cup of tea before him.

"So, I smell a different scent on you. Who is it?" the Shippo inquired.

"Oh, a woman I met recently." He replied and took a sip of the tea.

"Yeah? Who is she?"

"Her name is Kagome, and she sorta fell into my lap, so to speak."

"How so? Is she clumsy?"

"No, some guy pushed her on the train, and she fell into my lap. I gave her my seat, and it's been onward from there."

"What's her story? What relationship do you have with her?"

"Well, she's got family issues, and was originally living alone in some run-down apartment building on the bad side of town."

"Oh, my. What happened?"

Inuyasha sipped at his tea and ate the crackers offered while he told Shippo all about Kagome. All the while, the other three kids, and Shippo's wife, joined the visit. Inuyasha was happy he had the chance to visit with his friend Shippo; the only member of the group who is still alive today.

Shippo met his wife about a hundred years after Naraku was destroyed. He met her during the Fox Trials he'd been going through to gain recognition among the fox spirit society. Even though Shippo practiced on him quite a bit back when he was a kit, which annoyed him a great deal, Inuyasha was really proud of Shippo for being involved in the Fox Spirit Society. No matter how much the fox kit drove him crazy, Inuyasha saw the little spirit as his own son, and treated him as such.

He visited as often as he could over the centuries, and felt as if seeing the Shippo catapulted him back into the past. Now that Shippo is all grown up, and finally an adult spirit, Inuyasha felt the connection with him became more tolerable and adult. Nowadays, he treats Shippo as an equal.

"Listen, I was wondering. Since I'm out here visiting, and introducing Kagome to my past and my world, did you want to meet her?"

"Would it be safe?" Shippo's wife asked.

"I think so. She knows about my eyes, my ears, my heritage, and she didn't show any fear. I'm sure she'll be thrilled. You should've seen her excitement over the wind scar."

"Really! She enjoyed watching you destroy the forest?"

"Yeah, you shoulda seen the look on her face! It was precious."

"Hmm... Well, how about I go with you, since I was there back in the old group. I bet she'll be thrilled to see a full-fledged spirit from those times."

"Well, be prepared to answer tons of questions." Inuyasha chuckled as he finished his second cup of tea.

"No problem, I love telling stories about those times, its fun!"

"Well, then, let's head back before she shrivels up in that hot spring I left her in." The two spirits left and raced toward the Ryokan.

A bit later, while Kagome had had enough of the heat in the hot spring, she was climbing out when the bush a few feet away rustled. She gasped and fell back into the hot spring. "Who's there?"

"It's just me." Inuyasha suddenly appeared from the tree-line.

"Oh, Inu. You scared me. Where've you been?"

"I was visiting a close friend of mine. He came along with me. Would you like to meet him?"

"Oh, Inu... Um, I'm not decent yet. Let me get dressed, okay?"

"Alright, I'll come back in ten minutes." He walked back into the trees and disappeared.

"You're right, Inu, she's gorgeous." Shippo whispered.

"Yeah, she's amazing."

"So, how does she compare to Kikyo?"

"She doesn't."

"So, Kikyo's still number one in your heart?"

"No, I meant that it's the other way around—Kikyo doesn't compare to her."

"Oh..." He then continued silently watching the woman dress and primp herself alongside Inuyasha, who had a large smile across his face.

Once Kagome was finished getting ready, she called out to Inuyasha, and the two spirits appeared from the tree-line and leapt over the hot spring into the room. Kagome's eyes opened wide when she saw Shippo. She asked who he was and how he came to know Inuyasha. Shippo told how Inuyasha helped him fight the Thunder Brothers, avenged his father and how his tricks helped Inuyasha and the group throughout the years. The two enjoyed talking about the past and Kagome learned a lot from the fox spirit.

She asked him about the other spirits in the forest and he talked about how they're in hiding, and where a lot of them are located. He talked to her about how old he was and how long he'd known Inuyasha.

Kagome was so enthusiastic to know Inuyasha's fellow comrade, and felt even closer to him than when they'd first met. She loved how a man of such history could place such importance on her in his life. And to be royalty on top of it all, with his mother being a human princess of the feudal era and his father being the leader of the dog spirits was rather amazing in itself.

After learning of Inuyasha's life and history, she felt like she was a part of something bigger than her own little reality. She felt accepted and loved by a family.

Back in the city, Kagome's father followed a guard as he walked down a secure hallway, and turned into a room to his left. The guard closed the door behind them, and gestured to the chair before the glass and a phone receiver. He sat down and waited a moment.

Soon after, a man clad in a prison jump suit appeared from another room and sat in the chair on the other side of the glass. They each grabbed the receivers and held them to their ears.

"Hey, boss. You finally came."

"Muso, cut to the chase. What happened? What did you see?"

"Well, he lives in a flat on the west side of the city. She's living with him."

"Yeah? Who is this guy? What can you tell me about him?"

"Well, I don't know where he's from, his records don't really produce much, but he works for Shibuya Studios and he's some sort of animator, or something like that. He's rich, he's got tons of cash stashed in a few bank accounts, and he lives like a hermit, and a vagrant on the street. His flat is nothing special- simple, basically what one human would need to live. He's a workaholic, and he has no history of marriage."

"What about my daughter?"

"Well, I was about to kidnap her for you as you instructed, but he clocked me over the head with something, and the next thing I knew I ended up here."

"Damn it. I thought you said they were both asleep when you decided to move in."

"Yeah, he was snoring when I broke in, but I guess he was faking because he clocked me something terrible. They said I actually needed stitches, and had a concussion."

"Damn it. Well, thank you for all you've done." Her father stood from his chair.

"Wait! What about my pay?"

"What pay? You failed! You didn't acquire my daughter as you promised."

"Wait, so you're going to just let me rot here in jail?!"

"Yep, I am."

"No!" The executive hung up the receiver and calmly walked away as if the jailbird hitting the glass behind him was never there.

"I'm finished, lead me out." The guard led the suit out of the room, and out of the precinct. He descended the steps in front of the police station and slipped into the limo waiting for him.

"So, where to now?" The limo driver asked him.

"I need a private investigator. This Inuyasha has no history, and I need to find out why." The limo then drove off down the street.

"No history? So, wait... You thinking this Inuyasha Kagome's involved with is a fake?" Tanaka asked.

"Well, what Muso had to say sounded fishy—like he's covering up something. I have a feeling being fake wouldn't be too far off the trail."

"So, then, what's the next step? Are you going to keep tailing her? What's going on between them? They haven't slept together, have they?"

"I don't know the answer to that, son. Muso didn't mention that. He said he broke in to kidnap her, and the man clocked him, so he doesn't know much."

"Well, if I find out he's been tainting my Kagome, I will wring his neck and dispose of his body in a not-so-nice way."

"Calm down, Tanaka. I don't think Kagome is that cavalier in her actions with this man. However, I do understand how you feel if that were to be the case."


	7. Chapter 7

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 7

Back at the Ryokan, Shippo had gone home after his visit, and Kagome was finally left alone with Inuyasha. She was sitting on the edge of the hot spring, dipping her feet and legs into the warm nourishing water while sipping some sake. They'd eaten a large meal provided by the Ryokan, and she felt the need to let her feet dangle. The two watched the fireflies as they danced in the darkness of the tree-line. The scene was so serene and relaxing, Kagome laid her head on his shoulder and moaned happily.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"Did you have a good time today?"

"Yes, I did."

"So, what do you think of me now?"

She looked up to his golden eyes and smiled. "You are more amazing than any other man I could have ever ended up with. And Shippo, he's so funny! I have to admit, I don't know how you left all this for the city. Why did you if this is your true home out here in the boonies?"

"I don't know. I guess I got tired of the same trees. Not only that, but the city environment helped me let go of everything that hurt my soul."

"Losing Kikyo?"

"Well, that was part of it, but my mother, the fights with my brother, Naraku, the ridicule from the villagers, all of it. Nowadays, I'm able to visit without feeling the pain. I don't come out as often as I should, but when I do, I feel energized, and ready to continue on."

"Wow. I don't know if I want to go back to the city."

"You want to stay here?" She nodded. "Why?"

"Well, it's just the opposite for me- I have too much pain instilled in those city streets, and out here, I am new, and un-judged. Here, I am not known to anyone, so I am innocent. Out here, I am invisible."

"True. I know how you feel."

"How much time do we have here?"

"Tomorrow, and then I have to get back."

"Oh..." She leaned her head back on his shoulder, and he raised his right arm and held her to his side.

"Kagome, no matter where we are, you'll always be safe with me."

She sipped again at her sake, and set the empty cup on the floor. She placed her right hand on his chest, tracing his muscles through his t-shirt. He looked down at her hand and held it in his as he turned and kissed her deeply. They embraced and kissed long into the night, and slept after they'd exerted themselves enough to pass out.

The next morning, Kagome found herself encased in his body, and very warm. She wiggled into a new position and somehow managed to escape his needy grip. She found the restroom and took care of business. Later, when she returned to the room, Inuyasha was still sleeping like an angel. He was on his back, with the sheet covering his nakedness. His chest rose and fell with each deep breath, and his parted lips let go of deeply tired sighs. She sat upon the futon beside him and traced the veins rising up on his right forearm. The muscles and pulse so strong in his arm that she could see the blue in the veins. The amount of pressure to pump his blood through those veins had to be immense among all that steel. The skin on his arm shuddered at her inquisitive touch, the light colored hair on his arm rising.

He moved his head to the side, facing her. His eyes darted back and forth behind his eyelids, meaning he was deep in rem. She laid down beside him and watched him. She found she couldn't look away from his stoic features. His wild, silver hair, those adorable ears, and his fangs. She wished she could see those golden irises looking back at her. His eyes were full of such deep emotion, and the past he revealed yesterday was just a scrape at the surface of his identity. She was grateful he decided to share his life with her, and hoped this was not all he'd share with her.

Back in the city, Kagome's father decided he would call the best private investigator available and set up a meeting. He knew the investigator well, and would soon get information regarding that hoodlum his daughter was living with. He would find out every juicy detail and then he'd crush that young man with everything his company has to offer. Money was no issue on his end, and he was sure he'd crush him like the spider he'd stepped on, on the way up to his office.

"Connect me with Koga Yamamoto." Kagome's father commanded of his assistant. While he waited, he pulled up Shibuya Studios on his computer and grimaced at Inuyasha's picture. "Just you wait, maggot. You'll be dead soon, and I'll have my daughter back where she belongs."

His phone rang, and he picked it up. "Koga! It's Toru. Yeah. Can we meet over lunch today? Yeah. At Sho's Sushi Palace. Yes. 12 p.m. sounds great. Yeah, I got a real good case for you. Oh, this guy's quite a subject. Yeah, no past whatsoever; like he dropped out of the sky. Yeah. Alright, sounds great, see you then. Bye."

He gathered up his information on Inuyasha he'd gotten so far and decided to head off to the first morning meeting with a smile on his lips. Yes, today was going to be a great day.

Back at the Ryokan, Inuyasha had finally woken up, and they were quietly eating breakfast. Kagome was staring off into space while eating. Inuyasha watched her inquisitively for a few moments when he asked her, "What's on your mind?"

She shifted her gaze to see him looking at her. "Oh, I have an odd feeling."

"What do you mean?"

"That something's wrong, but I don't know what." Her eyes shifted back to the dishes before her.

Inuyasha's gaze fell to the floor off to the side. "It's probably nothing."

"Well, I don't know. I have a feeling that my father's not finished." Her eyes looked to the man before her.

"Not finished with what?"

"Well, he seemed to hate you without even meeting you properly. If I know my father, and his obsessive nature, he's probably investigating you. Digging up everything he can. Inuyasha, there's something I have to tell you about my dad. It explains why I no longer live with him, and how my leaving his company, and our living together may be a mistake."

"A mistake? You think I'm a mistake?"

"No, not you, but my choices."

"Look, I don't know what you're thinking, but my being with you is no mistake, Kagome. I am here, and I am not going anywhere. You need me, and now I know I need you, so let's just let go. If your father has a problem, I can more than handle myself. I know the laws, and know some awesome lawyers and investigators of my own. You have nothing to worry about. Let him bring it, he's an asshole anyways." He went back to eating his meal.

"No, you don't understand. Inuyasha, my father is in league with the yakuza."

"What?!"

"I should have told you, I'm sorry." Her head dipped and her chin touched her chest in shame.

Inuyasha set down his chopsticks, and went to her side. He held her shoulders and turned her to face him. He lifted her chin off her chest and said, "Listen, Kagome, you falling into my lap that morning was the best thing that's happened to me since Kikyo, and no yakuza is going to come between us." Her eyes teared-up at those words.

"You see, what your father doesn't know is I am best buds with the best private investigator in Japan. Koga, is his name. I have been in contact with him for centuries. Well, he was an adversary and friend during the time of Naraku. He's a wolf spirit, and he's already safe-guarded my past, and would never divulge anything to your father if he happens to contact him on me. And no yakuza will ever get a hold of you or me."

"But how-"

"Let me finish. Kagome, while you've been sleeping at the flat, and I've been working on my animation, which is like second nature for me anyways, I have been thinking things through. If it means we leave my place behind, that's not a problem. I have enough saved up to buy a place mainland, where the yakuza can't touch us if that's what it takes."

"What about your job?"

"It's called email." He smiled; assuring her.

"Inuyasha, my father has quite the brutal history behind him, and I don't know-"

"Kagome, trust me. I was the one who killed Naraku, a demon a hundred times worse than any yakuza could ever be. I am much tougher than any human with a gun."

"Not if they shoot you in the head from a distance."

He shrugged. "Got a point there, but I'd hear the bullet coming." He pointed to his extra sensitive ears. "These babies can pick up a sigh from a mile away."

She laughed, acknowledging his confidence. "Nothing fazes you."

"Not after living as long as I have. I've seen a lot of crazy shit, and this is nothing. Naraku was the worst of the bad you could ever imagine. He fed off other people's grief, anger, frustrations, and tested every heart he came across. He knew how to push the human heart to its limits, and even the strong couldn't help but succumb. I know, I was a victim, and rose up to kill him." His expression became serious.

"Inuyasha, what are we gonna do?"

"Well, just stick together, help each other, and see what happens."

"These are humans, Inuyasha. This isn't going to be as simple as killing a demon as a warrior. If we kill, we're likely to be persecuted."

"I know, I'm sure it won't come to that."

"How can you be sure?"

"If it comes down to your father learning who I am, he'll think twice about continuing. I am a prince, the great dog leader's son, and richer than any other yakuza lord in the country. He'd be stupid to even think of getting on _my_ bad side. I have more connections, both human and spirit alike than the local phone company, and I know what I need to do to drive his yakuza's ass underground in order to survive. To fight me would be just what the spirits and demons out there need to come out of the shadows. It wouldn't be me shedding their blood, it would be them, and it would be ugly."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, but inside she remained worried. Inuyasha certainly knew how to build her up, and knew how to talk shit, but could she trust that nothing bad was going to befall them? Only time would tell. He held her in his arms to comfort her, and let her know he wasn't leaving her side. His warmth was comforting, and helped her worries go dormant for a few moments at least.

Toru stepped into the sushi restaurant and looked for the brown-haired, cocky private investigator, Koga. When he caught a glimpse of him, he saw him stuffing his face at a far off table full of food in the back behind a closed glass door. When a waiter stepped up, asking him if he needed a table, he pointed out Koga and headed straight for him. He opened the glass door and greeted him.

"Get in here, sit down, old friend." He said through the food in his mouth. He swallowed a moment later and asked, "What you been up to that you have another case for me to investigate?"

"Well, this guy is linked to my daughter somehow. They met and formed some sort of a relationship within a week, and I need to know who this maggot is." He passed him a picture and Koga eyed it for a moment.

 _'Damn it, Inuyasha, what the hell are you doing dating this guy's daughter?'_ He set the picture down and asked, "So, what's he done exactly? What do you know about him?"

"Oh, he's been seen walking my daughter to work in the mornings and walking her home after work, and kissing her."

"So, she's rejected Tanaka, I presume?"

"Yes. She said she no longer loves him, and our two families have a marriage contract set between them, but all of a sudden, she wants nothing to do with him. She claims he forced himself on her, but that's only because she met this guy, I'm sure of it."

The waiter interrupted the conversation; asking Toru what he'd like to order. Koga shoed him away, saying his meal was already present and to pour him some water. After the waiter left, Toru continued.

"The guy I hired to tail and watch her, his name is Muso, was knocked over the head by this guy and thrown in jail for breaking and entering. Now she and this guy are nowhere to be found. Even the new guy I hired has entered his flat and seen that they'd been gone and haven't returned yet. He took her somewhere and the trail is dry."

"Tsch… Yeah, Muso can be a bit of a klutz. This isn't the first time he landed himself in jail because some guy caught him in his space."

"What's your next recommendation?"

Koga set his chopsticks down, sat back in his chair and eyed the photo for a moment again. He wiped the food from his lips and covered his mouth in contemplation.

"Do you know anything about this guy? Has your office every investigated him before?"

"No. This is the first time I've heard of him." He continued to think his way around this one. "Let me do some digging, and I'll let ya know when I've found something to go on, okay?"

Toru nodded and sipped at his water. He then grabbed the nearest plate and started eating as Koga continued to eye the picture. Suddenly, he stood from his chair.

"Where are you going?" Toru asked.

"I have to make a phone call, and I'll be right back." He opened the glass door and left the room. He left the building, sat in his car, and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number and held the receiver to his ear.

Back at the Ryokan, Inuyasha's phone started to ring. He flipped open his phone to see it was Koga. He eyed Kagome out in the hot spring, and stepped out of the room and answered the phone. "Oi, how you been, man?"

"Inuyasha, I have to warn you, Toru Jun has contacted me about you."

"I see."

"I'll lead him astray from your whereabouts, but you have to leave your flat, now."

"Already done, we're out in the boonies now, where he can't find us."

"Good, stay there. He's threatening to bury you, and get his daughter back. I'm going to do whatever I can to keep you two safe, but dude, are you sure this daughter of his is worth all this?"

"You bet she is. Thanks for the head's up. I've got a plan, and I'm all set to disappear, so no issues there. Call me if anything goes down."

"Will do, see ya later." Click.

Inuyasha clicked his phone shut, and set it back into his pocket. He knew where to go now-they'd leave the Ryokan and head to the mansion. After that, they'll head to another secluded location and go on from there. But not before he made some connections with some old friends.

He headed back to the room and saw she was still relaxing and enjoying the hot water. He undressed and joined her. "Who was that?"

"Huh? Oh, that was Koga." He gathered her into his arms and stared ahead in contemplation. "Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

"Looks like we're heading to the mansion after your massage this afternoon."

"Why?"

"Gotta get connected with some of my old buddies from way back." She looked up at him to see a serious look on his face.

"I was right, wasn't I?" All he could do was kiss her forehead and hold her closer, embracing her tightly.

"I promise you, nothing will happen to you. I don't care about what happens to me, but you will be safe in my arms, Kagome. I will protect you with everything I have."

Koga re-entered the restaurant a moment later, and opened the glass door. "Toru, thanks for the meeting, but I gotta go. I'll pay for the meal, so enjoy. I have to get going on this case ASAP. I'll be in touch." He tossed a tip on the table and left the executive to the rest of his food.

After paying, he left the restaurant through the front door, and made his way to the back alleyway. He got in his car, and raced off. He then drove out to his office and walked straight to his desk, past Ginta and Hakkaku, who were sharing a lunch of sushi they'd ordered.

"Koga, what's going on?"

"We gotta skip town, boys. We got a case set against Inuyasha. We gotta meet with him and get this shit straightened out." They both looked at each other, dropped their chopsticks and cleaned out their desks.

"What about this month's rent on the office?" Ginta asked.

"It's just been cancelled. We're outta here." Koga stated and slapped his briefcase strap onto his shoulder.

"Yes, sir." The two replied in unison and continued to gather their things.

One thing Koga has been known for is his ability to move on a moment's notice. His job is one for the wanderer; someone who doesn't wish to own a home. He goes wherever his subjects go, and uses burner phones connected to no particular account. At this moment, not even Toru knows where he is, and he likes it that way.

Ten minutes later, the three left the office vacant. The three piled into Koga's car and headed out to the boonies, which was code for the mansion outside Kyoto.

While Kagome enjoyed the massage, Inuyasha made some phone calls, and then headed out to Shippo's. He shared the information with Shippo and told his wife to take the kids to Hokkaido where they'd be safe. She obliged him, and kissed Shippo goodbye. Shippo made his way back with Inuyasha and they met Kagome back in the room, gathered up their belongings and headed back to the mansion.

Once there, he went right to the dojo and started swinging the sword to let off some steam. Kagome and Shippo chatted as they stocked the kitchen with food Shippo had bought earlier at a local market in Kyoto. Soon after they finished filling the cabinets, someone appeared at the front gate. They heard Inuyasha sheath his sword and make his way down the hall. He passed the kitchen entryway still holding the sword. Kagome wasn't sure who was there, but heard him chuckle and slap some backs. She heard other men talking with him and figured they were people he was expecting.

She left the kitchen and looked around the corner of the foyer to see him chatting with three men, who didn't look all that human. Inuyasha turned when one of them caught her in their glance. "Oh, Kagome, this is Koga, Ginta and Hakkaku. They're friends from way back."

"So, this is the woman who's got you in such a bind. Nice to meet you, beautiful." He complimented as he stepped past Inuyasha, grabbed her hand and kissed it tenderly.

Inuyasha grabbed his arm and slapped him in the face. "Hands off, Koga!"

"What?! Damn, Inu! I was just being respectful!"

"Yeah, right. I didn't trust you with Kikyo then, and I don't trust you now with Kagome."

"Jeeze, you never change, do you, pup?"

"Wait, guys!" Kagome yelled, raising her hands. "I thought you guys were friends."

"They are, but also rivals. You know how it can get between two dominant pack males." Ginta replied.

Shippo suddenly appeared from behind Kagome. "I knew it, they never grew up."

Kagome giggled and looked over her shoulder at the fox spirit holding a tray of steaming tea cups. "Come on, let's get along now. We're all adults here, and we need to get to strategizing on how we're all going to handle this mess."

Inuyasha and Koga snarled at each other, turned and followed the fox down the hall and into a room with only a large table within it. They all took a seat, Inuyasha settled at the end of the table, with Kagome beside him. He explained how they met, what happened at her old apartment, the stalker he clocked and how her father acted like an absolute jerk-off about their relationship.

Koga explained his position, what he knew about Toru Jun, and what he's capable of. All his connections, and what their options are, legally. Shippo offered to notify all the allied demons and spirits in the area to come to their aid, and Koga started mapping out places where they could go for protection.

Inuyasha resolved that he might have to take his weapons and Kagome further than expected. They may even have to go as far as flying across the Pacific. The yakuza connections Toru possess stretch throughout Europe and Asia. The only place he could not harm them was the U.S. Inuyasha didn't like the idea, but felt he had no choice, if it ended up going that far. He decided they would stay at the mansion for the time being, to see if the yakuza could find them there before making so drastic a move.

The main reason they would hole up at the mansion first was because the U.S. tends to keep track of every citizen and visitor by less than desirable means- cell phones, cameras fixed everywhere, and by taxes; hence why the yakuza stopped there. They wanted to be invisible, not announced.

Shippo then left immediately to gain some protection for them, while Koga and his men kept watch at the mansion. Inuyasha settled down with Kagome in the bedroom that evening. Once the futon was pulled out, and Kagome was ready for bed, he undressed and slid under the covers beside her. He held her protectively to his broad, muscular chest and tenderly kissed her forehead.

"Inuyasha, I can't believe it's gone this far."

"Well, it doesn't surprise me. This is the sort of thing I tried to avoid by living alone; being a hermit and all. I guess I was right years ago. Trouble seems to find me no matter what. It's not you who should apologize, it's me."

"Oh, Inu, you're wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I should have been open with you about this sooner so that you could have dropped me off at my father's home and walked away with your health, and your life. Now yours is ruined, all because my father is yakuza."

"Your father is the idiot, not you. I would never feed you to the demons of human society, so don't even think that. I wouldn't change a thing if I had the chance to live all this over again."

"You wouldn't?"

He looked into her eyes." Kagome, I'm not afraid."

"I know you're not, but I am. I love you, I care for Shippo, and I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"No one's going to be hurt. Well, maybe a little, but even so, we heal faster and better than normal humans do. We've all lived through hell, and this will be just like a bar room brawl, I assure you. These humans will be a piece of cake."

"Inu, I appreciate you trying to help me feel better, but it's not working. I know my father- he's ruthless. And his associates are so dirty they'll do anything it takes to get the job done. They are the kind who would tear out Koga's eyes to see where you live."

Inuyasha chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, the ripping out of Koga's eyes was a good one." He kissed her, and said, "You haven't seen us fight, so it makes sense that you would fear for us. You should fear more for your mother being left a widow before one of us would ever bite it, or lose our eyes for that matter."

"I thought I told you not to kill."

"You told _me_ that, not Koga." Kagome's eyes shot open. "Koga doesn't live by the rules, and has no remorse when it comes to killing humans. Back in the day, his pack of wolves ate humans for dinner, and he was among them."

Kagome gasped. "And you associate with that spirit?!"

"Oh, Kikyo and I broke him of it long ago. It made Kikyo mad, and she ripped him a new one, so he stopped his pack from eating humans. However, who knows what he's done lately, as Kikyo is long gone." He shrugged.

"I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Why was he interested in Kikyo?"

"Oh, she could see the jewel shards from the shattered Shikon Jewel. Therefore, he instantly fell in love with her, and competed with me for her affections. Kikyo, however, showed him that she appreciated his tenacity and that the only connection she would ever have with him was the same goal; killing Naraku. He stopped competing for her, eventually of course, but did little things out of respect for her."

"I see. So that's why you got so riled up when he kissed my hand and melted at the sight of me."

"Yes, he's nothing but a womanizer."

"Ah." She sighed and they both closed their eyes, letting sleep take them while the wolves kept close watch on the grounds.

A rustling sound rose from the forest on the other side of the road. Ginta strained his eyes to see if he could see anything in that area. "Who's there?" He asked aloud.

A tall figure appeared on the dirt road dressed in white. "What are you doing on my land, Ginta?"

He stepped toward the wolf and the nearby candle illuminated the figure's face—stoic, reflective yellow eyes, long silver hair and a blue half-moon on his forehead.

"Sesshomaru? Hey, Koga!"

The wolf came running around the corner to see Inuyasha's elder half-brother standing before the mansion. "So, Sesshomaru, what have you been up to all these years?"

"Nothing that concerns you. Why are you here, wolf?"

"Inuyasha is inside, and requested our protection. You don't come around here anymore, so why are you here?"

"It is my family's mansion; of course I come here, just when you're not around."

"Well, he's inside sleeping."

Inside the room, Inuyasha's nose caught a foul scent. He grit his teeth and snarled. He leapt off the futon and through the halls. He then slammed the shoji door open in the foyer to see the object of his rage looking right at him. "Sesshomaru!"

"Why have you tainted the family mansion?"

"Oh, get off it, Sesshomaru. I'm here for only a short time anyway."

"You couldn't go somewhere else?"

"What's your problem? We're related! Why does it matter if I stay here? I am allowed here too, ya know!"

Suddenly, a small hand rested on his shoulder. He looked to his left to see Kagome standing beside him. Inuyasha closed his eyes for a second and then shot a sneer at his brother. "I am protecting Kagome, if you must know. She happens to be in great danger."

"Who is he, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked softly.

"That is my older half-brother, Sesshomaru. He can be a real pain in the ass, and has never really liked me. He also fought against Naraku back in the day, as he kept kidnapping Rin."

"Who's Rin?"

"Not who is, but who was." The stoic demon replied.

"Rin was this little orphaned girl he saved with Tenseiga long ago. Since she was human, she's already gone." After the explanation, Sesshomaru's fist connected with Inuyasha's cheek and knocked him through the wall behind him.

"You are not welcome here, little brother. Nor is your human concubine." He stated as he glanced down at Kagome.

"Hey! I am no whore! I am the daughter of Toru Jun, I'll have you know!" She shot back proudly.

Inuyasha wiped his mouth and sat up on the floor. "What is your problem, you asshat?"

"You should leave. If she is the daughter of who I think she means, then this mansion will be destroyed within 24 hours." He stepped forward, grabbed Inuyasha by the neck, and tossed him out into the grass like dirty laundry.

"Hey! Stop it!" Kagome hit the demon's shoulder.

Sesshomaru turned, picked her up by her night shirt and said, "You remind me of someone…"

"What are you talking about, Sesshomaru?"

"That other human woman you fawned over long ago." He replied, scrutinizing Kagome's soul through her eyes. The look in his eyes made Kagome gulp in fear. Suddenly, he smiled.

Inuyasha gasped, raced across the yard and snatched her from his brother's grip. "You're not allowed to touch her!"

"Get out, fodder." Sesshomaru said without emotion, and entered the dojo. A moment later, he appeared at the front door again and tossed Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha. "And take your belongings with you."

"Will you just hear me out, Sesshomaru?! I can't leave just yet!"

"Inuyasha, you've made your last mistake." He pointed to Kagome. "This girl is trouble, and I will have nothing attached to this yakuza her father heads. You're on your own." He slammed the door shut.


	8. Chapter 8

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 8

Shippo ran quickly, followed by many of their former comrades from the warring days. He grimaced when he smelled the scent of trouble up at the mansion. He cleared the trees to see Kagome, Inuyasha and the wolves standing out in the front yard. "What's wrong? Why are you all out here?"

Inuyasha looked to see the fox demon had returned with followers equally questioning. "Sesshomaru kicked us out, and will not let us back in. He said he doesn't want to be included in the brawl."

"That figures, what a jerk. He never really changed, did he?" Shippo retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do we do now?"

Inuyasha looked to the new recruits and sneered. "I'm not taking this lying down." He stomped back to the front shoji and slammed it open. He ran to the dojo and started a fist fight with his brother.

"What is going on? Why are they doing this?" Kagome asked Shippo.

"Well, you see, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha share the same father, but different mothers. Sesshomaru's mother was another dog spirit, basically equal to his father, and very maniacal. Inuyasha's mother was a human princess who was very adored and beloved by their father. So, needless to say, when he bequeathed Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha, this fight ensued and has been going on between them both for as long as Inuyasha's been alive. They've never really gotten along. Both have hot heads and big tempers, so they fight whenever they get the chance. It usually starts with Sesshomaru putting Inuyasha down, and he defends himself. He usually makes Sesshomaru eat his words in the end, though."

"Wow." Kagome replied as they both ran to the dojo to see the action. When Kagome arrived at the door to the dojo, Sesshomaru had Inuyasha pinned on the glossy wooden floor, with a hand over his neck. "Inuyasha!" She shouted.

Inuyasha fought hard to release the grip around his neck. Gritting his teeth he growled as his eyes pierced Sesshomaru's eyes. "Let…Go!"

"Hmph, never." He closed his hand tighter around his brother's neck. Inuyasha made a choking sound. It was getting harder to breathe. He got up the strength to kick the demon off him and rolled over to catch his breath.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome started to run toward him.

Inuyasha held up his hand to stop her. "Stay back!"

Sesshomaru smiled once again. "This is my fight, and I must defeat him." He slowly stood on his feet and rushed his brother, knocking him through the wall behind him.

He unsheathed his sword and stood before his older brother with a fully transformed Tetsusaiga in his hands. "You really want to test my patience, Sesshomaru?" The sword turned black and speckled with what looked like stars and planets.

Sesshomaru stood from the ground and looked at him. "You think you have what it takes to send me to the underworld, little brother?"

"I'm sick of your games, and your hatred for me. It's over! You have Bakusaiga, and your arm back! I thought we settled this bullshit centuries ago! Why are you still treating me as if I am lower than shit?!"

"You still don't get it, do you? It has nothing to do with the swords. I can't stand that you taint the very air I breathe. Inuyasha, you are, and will always be, lower than me. Only half spirit—tainted with human blood from that princess of a mother. It doesn't matter what you say to me, you will always be an abomination."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and growled. He raised the sword over his head. "Then the underworld is where you belong. If you can't get along with me because of something I can't change, then you're the one who's shit, not me!"

"You don't have the guts. You're half human, and that adds compassion to your heart, which I am never concerned with."

"Bullshit! I bet if Rin were here, you'd think otherwise, you jack-ass!"

"She's gone already, so she's of no concern."

Kagome stepped around Inuyasha and shouted, "You are such a conceited jerk! You obviously are blinded by jealousy and stupidity! He's your blood, for goodness sake! You're fucking stuck with him, so deal with it and stop being such a child about it!"

Inuyasha lowered Tetsusaiga at her words. "Kagome, stay out of it!"

She turned to him. "Inuyasha, I don't care about how strong he is, I don't agree with him treating you like you're an outcast!"

She turned to Sesshomaru, stepped forward and said, "If you're going to put him down, then I will return the favor. I have quite the knowledge of what makes people tick, and your brain is no mystery to me, ass-hat."

Inuyasha's eyes shot wide open. "Kagome, you're gonna get yourself killed! Don't tempt him!"

"Oh, he's just some child who was denied what he considered love from his father, and needs to be taught that bullying is not the answer to his pain." Kagome replied.

"Hmph. You think you know what's going on in my heart? Give me a break."

"I know your story. You were the first born, and wanted more than anything to impress and even surpass your father in strength, but was unable to. Then he denied you, and you never got over that fact. You felt you were betrayed, and saw Inuyasha doted over because of his tender and loving mother." She stopped before him. "Well, I got news for you, Sesshomaru, there's a reason you were denied what Inuyasha received."

"Kagome! Stop while you're still alive!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Why would any father love such an arrogant son such as you? You want the world to revolve around you. You never wanted a brother, let alone one who is ultimately stronger in heart than you ever will be. He is kind, gentle, and understanding. Even with my background and family history, he accepted me. You, on the other hand, only know how to put others down in order to raise your worth. Which, by the way, is nothing compared to him. He's the best of both worlds while you only have one world to draw from. Talk about denied."

His left eye twitched, but Kagome stood firm before him. "Woman, you know nothing about me. I am willing to let you walk away alive if you refrain from speaking. You should know your station, woman. I am the Lord of the western lands here in Japan, and you have no right to stand before me and speak in such a tongue."

"Oh, really? If you are Lord, how come I had to meet Inuyasha and get him into trouble before even learning of your existence? You may have been a Lord centuries ago, but your position has no precedence today. So, your lordship, you'd might as well join the rest of us commoners and just suck it up because we need this mansion, and there's nothing you can say about it!" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

He raised his index and middle finger on his left hand and they began to emit a green glow.

"Kagome, get out of here!" Inuyasha grabbed her shirt from behind, tossed her back into the other room and rushed Sesshomaru. A moment later, a green poison whip slinked itself around Inuyasha's blade.

Kagome sat up and saw Inuyasha protecting her with his sword. Sesshomaru smacked him and blood flew from Inuyasha's face. Kagome gasped. Inuyasha drew back a bit, holding his poison-burnt cheek. He spit blood at Sesshomaru and returned the hit. Sesshomaru slapped another poison whip around Inuyasha's neck this time, and his legs collapsed beneath him.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed.

Inuyasha choked and gurgled in pain. He dropped his sword and pushed up against his brother's face, kicked his legs out from under him and slapped the whip away from his flesh. He rolled to the floor gasping and spitting blood.

Kagome looked on in horror. _'This is what he talked about. Was the fighting he experienced this terrible?'_

"Stop it!" She screamed. Inuyasha continued to struggle while Sesshomaru looked her way.

Koga stepped in between him and Inuyasha. "No more, that's enough. Look, Sesshomaru, we need your help if we're going to get through this. We're not doing this because Inuyasha got himself in trouble as you see it, we're doing this to stop Kagome's father from bullying and using her. I refuse to let you hurt her, and I will fight you as well if you continue to go after Inuyasha. You nearly killed your brother, which is sick."

"He should know better than to ever ask me for help."

Kagome's sobs silenced. "You are so pathetic." Everyone turned to look on her.

"What do you do these days, huh? Is your life that good that when someone suffers you just walk away? You are so cold-hearted and thick-headed that I'm surprised Inuyasha ever thought you could see the light of day through your own eyelids. I can't believe you hurt him as you have. You are the abomination in this world. Take a look around you! To the reigning humans in this world you are taboo! You are the outcast! You are the one to avoid just because you are not human! Get it, asshole? You are undesirable number one!"

Sesshomaru just stood there for a moment, silently looking at Kagome.

"You are the one who will die out if you don't learn how to get along while Inuyasha will forever outlive you." She got up and sat beside Inuyasha as he continued to struggle. She patted his back and helped comfort him as he gathered his wits about him.

Sesshomaru turned and walked out. "Fine, use the mansion, I don't care anymore."

Inuyasha looked up and struggled to stand. "No, Inuyasha, you shouldn't move yet."

"I'm fine." He rushed out to catch up with his brother. Kagome followed him in concern.

Shippo shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day that a human besides Kikyo would ever stand up to Sesshomaru."

"I know, the guy's an ass-hole." Hakkaku replied.

"Ass-hole or not, we need all the help we can get, and he's quite strong. Plus, with his unrelenting hatred of the human species, he won't have any reserves about killing the yakuza scum."

Inuyasha reached the front door and saw Sesshomaru heading toward the tree-line past the road. "Sesshomaru!" He stopped a moment to hear.

"Why won't you help out? We could really use you, ya know."

"I don't want to get involved in some pitiful human struggle over one little girl. This is your war, your fight. I want no part of it." He started walking again.

"Stop, wait!"

He turned toward Inuyasha. "You're strong enough. You don't need my help fighting against humans. However, if Naraku were to ever resurface from the underworld, call me then." He sailed off above the trees and disappeared from sight.

Inuyasha's left hand's grip tightened on the sword and he grit his teeth. "Damn it!"

Kagome walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his torso and nestled her left cheek into his strong back. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She stepped around him to see his injuries. She gasped when she saw the blood speckled all over his chest. "Where did all the blood come from?"

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to it." He sheathed his sword, turned and walked back to the dojo.

That was when she realized the sword was sheathed at his hip, as if he had been carrying it there all along. That night served a glimpse of his past; the one he spoke of the night before. She moved to catch up with him and asked, "So, is that the kind of fighting you were talking about?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know how I'm going to get used to that." Kagome looked to the floor before her.

"Kagome, there's something you need to understand about me." He stopped, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not a beast, but I fight like one. I'm still the same Inuyasha, I haven't changed. I'm just on edge, and reliving my past right now. I still love and care about you. That, for certain, will never change." He continued into the dojo and set the sword in the cabinet.

Kagome entered the dojo after him and stopped mid-way through. She watched him for a moment as he grabbed a nearby towel and wiped the blood from his taught skin. She continued on and raised her fingers to touch the skin on his back. He stopped moving at her touch, and slightly looked over his shoulder. Her fingers wandered tenderly over his skin. His eyes focused on her. She looked concerned, and worried. He turned and held her hand.

"Kagome, there's no need to worry about me. I'm fine, really. Please, don't trouble yourself over my health. If you haven't noticed, I've already healed from my injuries." He lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha gathered Kagome into his arms, and carried her into their room, and slapped the door shut with his foot.

Koga kept his eyes peeled, and his ears open. He heard nothing save for some insects chirping, and the soft rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind. His eyes scoured the back yard area, back and forth, finding nothing out of the ordinary. "Quiet night."

After an hour of talks with the yakuza, Toru Jun called a meeting with the underlings. He spoke of his daughter's disappearance, projected Inuyasha's face on a big screen on the wall behind him, and stated that he hired the best Private Investigator.

"Koga has not sent word yet, and since Inuyasha himself has disappeared with my daughter, I am suspicious of Koga as well. I need everyone to do their part to find my daughter and dispose of this scum on the wall. I don't care how it's done, just get it done. I want my daughter at my side, ready to marry Tanaka."

"So, the daughter is not to be harmed, right Boss?" Hiro asked, gaining an exasperated look from Toru.

"You finished with the jokes, Hiro?" He nodded. "Kagome is not to be harmed in any way. If she arrives with so much as a scratch on her body, I will kill whomever is at fault. You got it?"

"What about the Private I? I mean, if we find him there?"

"Kill him. If he's there, protecting the maggot, then he is a traitor to the yakuza, and deserves to rot in hell at our hands. Anymore stupid questions?" No one spoke. "Good, let's go."

The room of gangbangers stood from the floor and grabbed their weapons outside the shoji on their way out. Once off the grounds of the inn where the meeting took place, they all fanned out into cars, onto motorcycles, and on foot. Toru watched as his minions left the inn, and smiled at the fact that it wouldn't be long before he'd have his daughter back where she belongs—under his thumb.

The sun rose above the edge of the grounds in the morning. Small bright rays slipped through the microscopic holes in the shoji door paper. The room brightened gradually, and closed eyes fluttered open slightly. Brown sparkled in the diluted light, and an annoyed moan filled the room. "Morning already? Come-on…" Kagome complained as she realized she couldn't move, once again.

Inuyasha enveloped her body with his own; spooning her throughout the night—his strong arms and long legs held her prisoner while she slept. His breaths ruffled her bangs from behind, and each time she tried to break free, he complained and held her even tighter. "Inuyasha, please let me go."

"Mm… why?" He slurred.

"Because if you don't, then I'm going to cover you in things you would abhor." At that image, his eyes slipped open, and he reluctantly let go of her and the warmth left him.

When the shoji door slapped shut after she left, he rolled over on his back, the sheet covering his torso and down past his feet. His eyes closed, and he slipped back into sleep-land.

When Kagome returned, a few minutes later, she saw him sleeping restfully, as if she'd never woken him. She dressed herself and then started brushing her shoulder-length, wavy black hair. When she was finished, she looked to his sleeping form.

Moments from the night before in the dojo flashed through her mind. His taught and strong chest rising and falling was mesmerizing. She couldn't help but think about how the body resting before her houses such a passionate spirit. His need for her embrace is obviously important to him. She'd never felt so needed in her life as she does by him. He'd been so alone all these years and she felt honored to be the one to quench his thirsts for intimacy. She knew, after last night, that she'd certainly be in for quite an interesting life with Inuyasha.

After a few more moments of silently watching him, and thinking about him, he turned his eyes toward her, and they inched open enough to look upon her through his long, black eyelashes. "Morning, Inu."

He moaned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with his knuckles. He propped himself onto his elbows to look at the woman sitting on the futon beside him. She was smiling, and glowing with rays of sunlight behind her. He reached toward her and pulled her head to his. He kissed her deeply and urged her to join him again. She slipped up beside him and he held her to his half-naked body. His left leg pulled her torso flush against his and his arms held her prisoner to his bare chest. Soon after, they came up for air and closed their eyes while their foreheads touched.

"I don't regret anything I've done with you, Kagome. I want you to know something." He whispered and lifted his head from hers to look into her eyes. "I want you to know how much you've meant to me this short time."

"Why? What are you-?"

"Kagome, I want you to know that Kikyo is a part of my past, and you are now my present. I want you to know that I don't know what will happen in the near future, and I need you now more than ever. I haven't fought humans since my days fighting with Naraku."

"When you fought with Sesshomaru last night," She touched his healing wound across his neck from the poison whip. "I thought I was going to lose you. I'm not used to this, and all I ask is that you stay with me."

"I am a lot harder to kill than you think, Kagome. If it had been you burned by his whip last night, your head would have come off in seconds." His serious tone cut through her soul, and his eyes cut deep.

"But, you were in so much pain."

"You don't know my tolerance. It burned, yes, but it wasn't excruciating. You want to know what the hard part about it was." She nodded. "When I'm in a bind, and my life is at stake while I'm fighting, I have to hold myself back. Kagome, there's something you don't know about me."

He sat back and pulled the sheet with him. "I am half human, and half spirit. Strong, spirit laden blood mingles with weak human blood within me. That means, whenever I am in danger of losing my life, my spirit-blood kicks in, and takes over my body to preserve my life. When that happens, I become someone else entirely. I don't know how I look after the transformation, but from what Kikyo has said, my face changes a bit; I gain marks on my face, as well as the shape and color of my eyes change. My claws grow and sharpen, and my aura pulses with the obsession for bloodshed."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Back before Kikyo passed on, whenever I was in trouble and lost it, she brought me back. She purified me. But now, since you're not a priestess, if I end up in that state, run."

"Run?"

"Yes. The last thing I could ever live with is killing or hurting you. Kagome, I can't guarantee that you'd survive unscathed if I ever lost control while you were with me. So, yes, don't think, just run." His gaze lowered to the futon mattress.

"No." He looked at her in shock. "I will not abandon you. I have an idea of who you become, but if you can fight Sesshomaru, and come out alive and healing well without losing yourself, then I don't think I need to worry about you losing yourself."

"Kagome-"

"Inu, listen. There's only one advantage these schmucks have over you- they could pick you off at a distance with guns, but only if they're marksmen, which I am sure they aren't. They have the numbers, but nowhere near the strength that you, Shippo, Koga, Ginta, Hakkaku, and the rest of you have." She placed her hand on his, stopping his fidgeting. "I know you will make short work of them all without coming close to losing your life."

He looked at their hands, lifted hers to his lips and kissed it. "I love how you love me, Kagome. I never imagined I would fall for another woman in my life, but I'm glad I did. I didn't realize that another woman, who would accept me, could ever exist. That's why I need you to run. I will do everything it takes to free you from your father and his yakuza."

Kagome nodded, looking down at their hands.

"But still, it was scary, Inu."

"Maybe you should be in another location then. You will be safer if you are not there on the scene." He stood from the futon and started to pace back and forth.

"But, what if someone else is tipped off for that?"

"Well, you're right. Okay, then I have one command, not a request."

"What's that?"

He stopped and looked down on her. "That you do not leave my side."

She stood and nodded. "I promise, I will not leave your side. However, I think I should have someone at my side protecting me; in case you are drawn away."

His hand went to his chin, and his gaze diverted off to the side. "I know what we can do. I was hoping to have his help, but he can serve us both well in another way. Shippo will be at your side, and you will be protected throughout the ordeal."

"How?"

He looked her in the eyes. "You don't have to worry about how. Just trust me when I say that Shippo won't let anything happen to you." She nodded. He turned around, knelt to grab some clothes from his bag and then proceeded to dress. Kagome sat upon the futon silently, looking around while deep in thought.

A few minutes later, as Inuyasha slid the shoji open to leave their room, he stopped. "Sesshomaru." He said under his breath.

"He's coming." Inuyasha turned and looked to Kagome. "His minions will be here tonight."

"How many are there?"

"There are quite a few. Word has it they're all coming in small groups on their own, gathering recruits and fellow yakuza members along the way, so there's no telling how many there will be when they arrive."

Inuyasha looked down in anger. "Fuck…"

"Inuyasha?"

He turned and looked at her with fear in his eyes. "Let's all gather in the meeting room. Sessh, tell the wolves to join us." Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and led her straight to the meeting room and shut the door. He then abruptly held her tightly to him, holding the back of her head as fear took over in his mind, causing a tear to fall. If there was one thing he could never do, aside from letting her die, is cry in front of her.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?"

"No." He choked out. "I didn't think it would come this soon."

Kagome tried to look at him, but his hand held her throat to his shoulder. "Let my head go, Inuyasha." He wouldn't relent.

"Please, just let me hold you." She then abided silently for a few moments longer, and then he let go and turned all in one quick move, hiding the streaks his tears left from her sight. She stood and looked at his broad back as his head dipped slightly.

"Inuyasha?" Just then, the shoji slid open, and Shippo appeared with shock in his eyes at the sight of Inuyasha's face. "What's wrong, Shippo?"

Inuyasha's head rose and shook, sending a signal to him. "Um… Nothing, just didn't think you guys were already here is all."

"Oh." Kagome turned and took a seat while unbeknownst to her, Inuyasha had wiped the liquid from his cheeks to hide the evidence. He turned, sat beside her, and grabbed her hand tightly. Their eyes connected, and a smile appeared on his lips. She saw something else when he smiled. She saw worry in his eyes. She knew then that the situation was direr than he led on _._

 _'Oh, Inuyasha, I understand. Even if you feel the need to keep me assuaged from fear, I know you will worry enough in trepidation for both of us.'_

After the meeting finished, and Shippo was directed to keep Kagome safe, he and she left the mansion so he could show her what he and Inuyasha had planned. He took her hand and led her out further into the front yard and then stopped in the middle.

He turned to her and then said, "Kagome, there's one great thing about having a fox spirit at your disposal. Us fox spirits are magical, and we are known for playing tricks on people. Most tricks we play include shape shifting."

"Shape shifting? Like how? Do you turn into a tree? Another animal?"

"No. Well, yeah, we can, but the object I plan to use to keep you safe is a bird."

"A bird?" At her words, he set a green leaf on his head and a cloud of smoke spurted from his form and he had turned into a large bird, with a back large enough for her to sit upon.

"Kagome, with this form, I can lift you up and keep you out of harm's way, and they'd think I was just some big bird flying above the fight."

"I see, this will be interesting, as I'm not used to flying."

Shippo slowly landed on the ground before her and said, "Climb on." She grabbed his feathery back and slipped her right leg over his torso until she straddled him comfortably. Then, before she was ready for it, he flapped his wings and gradually rose into the air. She gasped, but grabbed hold around his neck and breast. She watched as the mansion became smaller and smaller.

"I see, so you'll have me up far above the battle, and out of range of any danger."

"That's the plan Inu discussed with me, which is the safest plan we could come up with."

"What about bullets? Won't they be able to shoot you down?"

"Naw, I can dodge them. My ears are very sensitive too, I'll hear them coming. Not only that, but they wouldn't think of shooting at some bird flying so high in the air they can't see you."

"Wow…" Kagome exclaimed in relief. She would have the best view of the fight from up here, and she would be safe all around.

 _'Good thinking, Inu.'_


	9. Chapter 9

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

 **Being Watched**

Chapter 9

Everyone at the mansion resided at their planned posts, waiting for the minions to arrive. Koga was stationed within the mansion while Ginta and Hakkaku stood at the entrance on either side of Sesshomaru, the owner of the grounds. They heard a howl come from a distance off to the west—one of Koga's wolves stationed at the outskirts of the property, instructed to howl at any sign of the yakuza's arrival.

Kagome and Inuyasha sat in the dojo alone. Inuyasha gripped his Tetsusaiga when the howl hit his sensitive ears. Kagome looked to see his expression change. "What is it?"

"They're coming." His brows scrunched in determination, as he listened for another indication.

Kagome's breath hitched in her throat. Inuyasha stood and stepped out into the hall. He motioned for Shippo to come into the dojo. Shippo walked in and sat before Kagome. Inuyasha sat beside Kagome, facing Shippo.

"Shippo, it's time. Remember, you have to stay high enough, and out of sight for them to think you're just a big bird flying high in the atmosphere." Shippo nodded. Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "Do not fear, just hold on tight."

"But what if a gust of wind blows her off kilter, that could spell disaster, Inu."

"Good point." He stood, and opened the supply cabinet in the back of the dojo. He found some rope, and lanyards to build a harness. "We'll build a harness. Shippo, you will need to have this rope around you. Transform."

"In here?" He exclaimed.

"Yes, in here, I need to set up the harness, and secure Kagome to it. Plus, the sooner you get her up in the air before those jerks come, the better off we are."

Shippo transformed into the bird. Inuyasha unraveled the rope and wrapped it around Shippo once, tied it securely, and then called Kagome over. He then sat her on his back, wrapped the rope around her torso three times, tied it securely, and used the excess rope to create a loop, to secure her to the rope around Shippo with the lanyard.

"Okay, take care of her, Shippo, I'm counting on you," Inuyasha said.

"You got it."

He stepped up to Kagome, lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly. "Don't worry about me, my love. I'll be fine."

"I hope so. Inu, how will we know when the fight's over?" Kagome asked.

"I'll shoot Wind Scar into the air when it's safe to land," Inuyasha replied. "Now, go,"

Shippo flew off into the air, a good breeze swept through Inuyasha's hair as the large wings flapped, sweeping them up out of the dojo and into the sky.

Inuyasha took a deep breath, and turned toward the front yard when Sesshomaru appeared before him and said, "It's time."

Inuyasha nodded and exited the dojo. He stood in the doorway and watched as men in black suits, white shirts, black ties, and sunglasses appeared, one by one, through the tree line. Inuyasha stood his ground, his eyes watching each yakuza lackey enter the grounds. After about twenty men encircled the yard, a man Inuyasha did not recognize, appeared. He split the circle, and stepped forward toward the group of demons.

Sesshomaru stood before him, not moving an inch. His face as straight as usual. Inuyasha didn't move either, just looked through his eyes, causing the leader discomfort.

"You," the man pointed, "You are Inuyasha, aren't you?"

"What of it?" Inuyasha barked.

"You are the one we have a beef with, not these other vermin. But before we kill you, where is Kagome?"

"Where you can't get at her."

"In the trees, check them," he sent the lackeys out to search the forest surrounding the mansion.

Inuyasha smirked as the men spread out and disappeared into the trees. "If you think they will find her, you're mistaken. We're not that stupid."

"Doesn't matter. Once your head is on a pike, I will search the mansion, if she doesn't come running out after your carcass, that is."

"You're barking up the wrong tree, ass wipe. I'm not human. I will wipe the ground with your sorry excuse for a human body," Inuyasha challenged him.

Hiro observed him for a moment. "Your eyes; you have gold eyes. And your hair, a very unusual color. You're not from around here, are you?"

"You're mistaken, these are my family's lands, you insignificant human."

"Insignificant, what?" His eyes went wide. "You're—you're not human?"

"Oh, I'm only half human, but what's it to ya?"

"I get it! No wonder why Toru hated seeing you with Kagome. You're dead for sure!" He shot his gun at Inuyasha.

"My name is Hiro Shirada, second in command of the Tokyo Yakuza. I have killed many men, and I'm damn near hard to wound." He pulled out two shiny guns and cocked them simultaneously.

"Guns? Come on! Are you shitting me? You have no chance of wounding me with such weak weapons, jack ass!" Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath. Bright light surrounded the blade as it transformed and grew to its true form.

"You talk big, but with my aim, you'll never even get close enough to leave a scratch with that ancient weapon," Hiro said as he took aim at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha took his stantz and narrowed his eyes. Hiro smirked, and Inuyasha sneered, bearing his fangs. As they studied each other, a growl formed from deep within Inuyasha's chest, and grew in volume. Suddenly, he leapt into the air, and Hiro shot, missing him.

"Hard to hit a moving target, isn't it?" Inuyasha exclaimed as he let go of his wind scar.

Hiro jumped out of the way, just missing being hit by the energy blades shot from the sword's blade. A couple trees fell behind him as he took aim again, just missing Inuyasha, as he dodged the bullets in midair.

"You can't dodge my bullets forever!"

"You'll run out of bullets eventually, whereas I have unlimited supply of energy to shoot at ya!" Inuyasha swung again, just about slicing the man.

When Inuyasha landed, a bullet tore into his left arm. Inuyasha didn't react to the pinch of pain. He just dug his claws into the bloody wound, and backhanded blades of blood at Hiro. One blade of blood sliced through his torso on the right side, splattering blood onto the grass. Hiro doubled over in pain, his left hand over the wound.

Inuyasha walked up to Hiro, and lifted his bleeding arm. "This flesh wound didn't even itch me, but I was able to wound you enough to stop your aim. Give up now, while I'm willing to let you to live. Your gun can't harm me, so turn back now, and tell Toru that his daughter is safe, and sound, and out of his reach."

"Why would you think I would accept mercy from the likes of you? I was told to kill you, and bring back Kagome. If I don't, I'm as good as dead anyway. So you must kill me, since it looks like you're not all talk after all," Hiro made eye contact with Inuyasha and spit blood in his face.

Inuyasha slapped the blood from his face, and held his sword level with Hiro's nose. "I don't kill those weaker than myself. My brother, however, he's not the kind to give mercy to anyone, no matter who they are."

Sesshomaru stepped forward and stopped between Hiro and Inuyasha.

Hiro smirked. "You defeat me? You're unarmed, and I have two guns. At least he has a sword to fight with. If you think you're going to kill me unarmed, you've got another thing coming. As soon as you kill me, the others will attack you at once, and they're all heavily armed, I assure you."

"You obviously know nothing about my brother and me," Sesshomaru said.

"What do you mean?"

"We don't necessarily need weapons to kill and survive a fight. Your bullets won't even itch," Sesshomaru raised his right hand before him, his fingers sprawled out to attack.

Hiro took a shot at him. Sesshomaru blocked the bullet with his poison whip. The bullet ricocheted back and hit Hiro in the shoulder. He grunted in pain, his right hand covered the bleeding wound.

"My brother may be half human, half spirit. I, however, am all spirit, and my abilities are deadly. Shooting that gun at my little brother just signed your death warrant."

"Shut up! Don't make me laugh!" Hiro cocked his gun, aiming it at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru didn't blink as the bullet shot free of the barrel.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha shouted.

Sesshomaru's hand shot up and his whip deflected the bullet once again. "Your gun is useless. Give up, and go home."

"No way!" Hiro pulled clips from a pocket in his jacket, re-armed his guns and began shooting again. None of the bullets reached their mark. Sesshomaru leaped up, and landed close to Hiro, clocking him with a right hook.

"You are pathetic," Sesshomaru lifted Hiro off the ground by the neck. With the slightest twitch of his hand, Hiro's neck snapped, and the guns fell from his lifeless hands.

Suddenly, the other men jumped to action. Inuyasha blocked a couple bullets with his sword, and smacked the nearest yakuza member off his feet. Sesshomaru whipped each one of Toru's men with poison. Each mark left by the poison whip left a debilitating mark on their bodies, the poison eating away at their skin.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha blocked a stray bullet from a sniper hiding in the woods. He stepped up and set his back to Sesshomaru's. "We need to fight these guys together. I know we never enjoyed fighting together, but if we're going to win this fight, it's a must."

"It matters not how it's done. I am only here to get them off my land." Sesshomaru cracked the knuckles on his hand.

Yakuza members attacked from all angles, with various weapons and others with guns from a distance. Inuyasha swung his sword in all directions, and released his wind scar to destroy their weapons. Sesshomaru cleaned house with his poisonous whip, and claws. The fight seemed never-ending.

Kagome and Shippo watched the fight from high up in the clouds.

"My god, this fight is getting ugly." Kagome said.

"Eh, this is nothing."

"How so, Shippo?"

"They've fought zombies before, this fight is ridiculous. Those humans will never outlast those two. They have ten times the energy those mere humans have. This fight won't last much longer, I assure you."

Kagome continued to watch, holding on tightly as Shippo circled the sky above the mansion. As they'd hoped, none of the members thought to look up at the large bird circling.

"I wish there was something I could do to help Inuyasha." Kagome said.

"No, don't even think of interfering. Inuyasha doesn't like it when his thunder is stolen. He's a loner when he fights. I've seen him and his brother bicker over fights before, it can turn ugly, no matter who is trying to help. The only people he never had a problem with were Kikyo, Sango and Miroku."

"Why's that?"

"Because he found them worthy to fight at his side. Kikyo was a fierce priestess who needed no protecting. Sango had vast knowledge of how to take demons down, and Miroku's wind tunnel and strong spiritual powers were useful. You, however, you have no fighting spirit to speak of. On top of that, you're his lover, and as a dog would protect his owner, he would protect you at the cost of his life, if that's what it meant."

"I see. I just wish there was a way to avoid this fight. He may say that he can handle it, but I don't like seeing him hurt over me." Kagome lowered her gaze to Shippo's feathers.

"Like it or not, he's a warrior at heart, and this is how he shows how much he loves and cares for you—in the heat of battle."

Kagome looked down upon the fight once again, watching Inuyasha's every move. He was graceful. He moved effortlessly amongst the humans. His legs swung above is head and he circled on one hand, kicking several guys away into the trees. He got back onto his feet, knocked another few unconscious, and tossed them off the property like they were dirty rags. Just seeing him fling them away like they were nothing made her smile. His sense of humor and raw fighting style showed her his true colors. Shippo was right. As a hermit, working on imagery on his computer, she never imagined him capable of such things. He seemed to be enjoying knocking them to a fro.

Before she knew it, she found herself shouting, "Get 'em, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha somehow heard her accolades, but didn't react. He refused to give away her location. Hearing her cheering him brought a smile to his face. She was watching the fight—watching him at his best, doing what he loves most, kicking ass, and taking names.

After Inuyasha whipped the last weakling into the forest, he turned to see Sesshomaru thrust his poisonous claws into the stomach of one of the un-named yakuza members. He cried out in pain.

"Where is your leader?" Sesshomaru asked him.

"He's—not—here—"

"That's not what I asked. Where can I find this leader of yours?" Before the man could answer, he coughed up a lot of blood and his head fell to the side.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Inuyasha ran to him and knelt beside the man he'd just killed.

"What, you care for this fodder?"

"No. If you wanted to know the location, you could have just asked me! You didn't have to torture this man!"

"Whatever. You should have told me before I tortured him. His death is your fault."

"You bastard." Inuyasha barked. He stood from the corpse and looked at his brother.

"This fight is over. If you want to go after the leader, he is downtown, in Tokyo. We'll get there once we take care of the men in the forest." Inuyasha leapt off toward the trees and started knocking them unconscious.

"If you only knock them out, they will certainly come back for us!" Sesshomaru directed.

"Shut up! They just need to be shown they have no chance in hell against us!" Inuyasha hit a guy's hand so hard it broke.

"I never do as you tell me. They mean nothing to me, so death is all they will find." Sesshomaru continued killing the men one after another.

At the sight of seeing Sesshomaru dismembering their comrades, the members started running off with their tails between their legs. Inuyasha turned and saw his brother covered in the blood of Toru's men. Their blood dripped from his claws, his arms, and splattered his clothes completely. Inuyasha looked away and clenched his teeth. He remembered what it felt like that time hundreds of years ago when he ripped a band of brigands to pieces when he lost control of his spirit blood. Seeing his brother unfazed by the blood encompassing him strained his spirit. He leapt off toward the mansion, focusing on shooting off the Wind Scar.

Kagome saw Inuyasha appear from the forest unscathed. He looked up, aimed the Wind Scar upward, sparking the victory. Shippo immediately descended. Upon landing, Inuyasha ripped the ropes and lifted Kagome off Shippo's back and into his arms.

"Kagome, I'm so glad you're safe."

Inuyasha trembled as he held her to his body. She felt his anguish. His muscles taught, and quivering beneath his skin. She held him tightly and buried her face in his neck to kiss his skin. His skin was slick with salty sweat. His scent was of war. His clothes wet with the smell. Kagome didn't care. He needed her, and that was all that mattered. When Sesshomaru appeared from the tree-line, Kagome's eyes saw the blood. She gasped.

Shippo shook his head. "This is nothing new, Kagome. Sesshomaru has no remorse for killing, whether they be human, spirit or demon. Red becomes him, I assure you."

She lifted her head from Inuyasha's shoulder and looked to see his eyes emotionally afflicted. "Inuyasha? Are you alright?"

"I will never kill as he does. I do not live to rip flesh from bone. I never liked the smell of human blood on my hands."

"Then, where did the ones you attacked go?"

"They fled when they saw him rip their buddies to shreds. It was gruesome. I saw him rip the skin from one of them, and then dismember him. Just at that sight, the rest fled without thinking twice."

Kagome gasped and buried her eyes into his shoulder. Inuyasha held her tighter, protecting her from the sight of his murderous brother. "Sesshomaru, if you ever do that to another human again, I will return that favor."

"You do not have the strength to do something so vicious, little brother, admit it." He walked off into the mansion to clean himself of the putrid human juices.

Inuyasha gathered Kagome into his arms and leapt off toward the vast forest. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"I need to be away from the mansion for a bit. I need you to help me calm down."

She nodded and held on tight as he leapt from tree to tree, leaving the mansion grounds, and Shippo behind. Once he'd found a decent tall tree to settle in, he let her down onto the thick branch, and sat down beside her. The birds in the trees around them, and the breeze calmed them both. He closed his eyes and let his ears enjoy the calming sounds. The scents were sweeter, and his energy and heart began to calm. Kagome watched him silently as his face relaxed. He slid his hand to hers and held it tenderly. She looked down at his large hand encasing her small one. The grip was soft, needy, and warm. She looked at every visible line, and tender red spot, showing inflammation from hitting those men. His claws holding steadily, none broke.

She lifted her gaze back to his façade. The man beside her was so strong. He fought over twenty men, killing none, and suffering barely a scratch from their attacks. His principles were just as strong as his body. It was apparent that he lived best in the heat of battle, but his tender human side contradicted that, but in a balanced way. Never allowing himself to go too far, never harming for no reason, and just showing the opponent his strength without ruthlessness. The polar opposite of his older brother.

"Inuyasha, are you alright now?"

"Yes. I couldn't stand to be assaulted by the smell of human blood. It pains me."

"Why's that, Inu?"

"Remember what I told you about my transformation? If I am cornered and in danger?" Kagome nodded. "What I didn't tell you is I slaughtered a band of human bandits terrorizing a village. As I slaughtered them, I laughed, enjoying every moment of spilling their blood. I didn't stop until Sesshomaru picked a fight with me, knocking me unconscious."

"Oh, Inuyasha…" Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes when she saw the pain in his face.

"I refuse to go through that again. It took a while before the scent of the blood left my claws. Not only that, but their blood stained my clothes. Seeing Sesshomaru in that condition, was too close a reminder of that day."

"I see…" Kagome put her left arm around his shoulder and leaned into him, giving him comfort. "You're a good man, Inuyasha. That is in your past, not your present. You did well today. Focus on that. We can stay away as long as you wish."

Sesshomaru stepped from the bathroom, pristine, as if the carnage he dealt never happened. Koga and his comrades looked upon him with distaste. "Where is Inuyasha?"

"He and Kagome left into the forest about an hour ago. They haven't come back yet." Koga replied.

Sesshomaru averted his gaze and took a seat on the other side of the pillar from Koga, staring off into the tree-line ahead. Silence fell over the small group. Shippo just sat, picking individual blades of grass, and compared them, out of boredom.

"Well, Sesshomaru, for someone who complains about Inuyasha tainting your land, you certainly did a number on it yourself. It reeks of human flesh and excrement from those you dismembered." Koga complained.

"It was meant as a warning. If the scent, and carcasses are left as they are, they will no longer think to come around again."

"Is that really your plan? You're not serious, are you?"

Sesshomaru just turned and glared at him. Koga stood, put his hands in his pockets and started walking from the front porch. "Come on, guys, we're outta here. I can't stand this stench." Ginta and Hakkaku followed without question.

Shippo looked off into the forest where he last saw Inuyasha and Kagome fly off into. "I wonder when they will return."

"When the stench is gone, that's when."

"So, you're doing this to avert Inuyasha and Kagome as well?"

"Yes. That half-breed should never have brought Kagome here in the first place. It's his fault this land smells as it does."

"No it isn't! It's your desire to be surrounded by carnage to keep others off 'your' land! You're despicable!"

"Shut-up, pup. I don't take orders from anyone. If you don't like it, then you can leave as well. I don't want that human scum to tarnish this land again. As far as I am concerned, you're not even family, so you don't belong here either."

Sesshomaru's piercing glare burned into his eyes. Shippo stood from the bald spot in the grass he'd created and walked off into the forest in search of Inuyasha and Kagome. Sesshomaru sat, watching the tree-line in silence, not a thought going through his mind as the wind blew his long, silver hair about his shoulders.

As Shippo got further into the forest, Inuyasha's scent grew stronger. He continued on, complaining to himself about the arrogance he'd just dealt with. Sesshomaru never changed, and it was apparent that he never planned to. Life meant nothing to the spirit lord, especially after Rin died centuries ago. Rin was the only person who brought out what little humanity his soul had within. He struck Shippo as someone who felt nothing but angst, and negativity. Shippo was more uplifting, sweet, kind and felt for others. He was a spirit of action, one who did everything in his power to help others to succeed. Sesshomaru was one to knock down and destroy any kind of faith one could ever have to survive adversity.

Finally, after some time of continuing into the thick of the forest, he heard Inuyasha's voice. He was talking with Kagome up in a tall tree. Shippo stopped and looked up into the foliage.

"So, what do you think we should do?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know. I didn't expect Sesshomaru to kill as he did. I think we should just go back to the Ryokan, for now, at least."

"I couldn't tell you what my father will do next, since the ones that fled returned with their tails between their legs. I don't want you to get hurt over me, Inuyasha."

"You never listen, do you?" Shippo gasped at his tone. "I told you, I'm not afraid, and you shouldn't be either! You saw the fight. You saw what I'm capable of. No one is suited to protect you, but me. I will protect you, whether you fear my fighting, or not. You, Kagome, are now my life!"

The air thickened, and leaves fell from above.

"Kagome, I love you. I will not stop fighting for you until this is all over. Until you are safe."

"Inuyasha…" Silence fell down to Shippo.

His cheeks went red as the branch creaked up above. He then turned around, and walked some distance away to give them privacy as they kissed. He felt lonely, but he stayed close until he knew Inuyasha and Kagome needed him again. Not only that, but he wanted to make sure he was close enough that Inuyasha could catch his scent, to know he was close by, but not too close. He sat under a tree some distance away from the one Inuyasha and Kagome settled in, and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the breeze as it rustled through the canopy above. The creaking of the thinner trees around his brought him comfort.

Sometime later, Inuyasha and Kagome descended from their high perch and landed before Shippo. Inuyasha had a relaxed look in his eyes, but his mouth was firm as usual.

"You done?" Shippo asked.

"Tsch…Done with what?"

"Don't play dumb, I waited here until you finished. You two are so predictable. Is that all you do, you hound dog?"

Inuyasha smacked Shippo upside the head. "Shut up! Let's head back to get our things. We're going back to the Ryokan." He scooped Kagome up into his arms again and leapt off toward the mansion.

Shippo rubbed his head, and leapt off after them. When they arrived back at the mansion, Inuyasha covered his nose from the stench. Kagome entered the mansion, barely fazed by the smell. She gathered their belongings into a bag. Shippo held his nose closed while he made sure she left nothing behind. Once she was finished, they left quickly. Far enough away from the stench, Inuyasha let Kagome down, and they walked the rest of the way to the Ryokan.

When they arrived, Kagome and Inuyasha entered their room, and shut the door after Shippo entered the doorway. Kagome suggested Inuyasha shower and go into the hot spring to relax, and tend to his wounds. He left to shower, and then returned a few minutes later dressed in only a yukata. He disrobed, stepped out into the private back area, and slid the door shut.

As Inuyasha settled into the hot, soothing water, his muscles relaxed, and his mind kicked in. He had to be realistic. Even the Ryokan was not safe. If the yakuza network was as strong as Koga mentioned, they already knew where they are. His eyes unfocused as the steam continually rose, surrounding his body, clouding his vision. The options were getting slim.

"Shippo." He called out.

"Yeah?" Shippo stuck his head out through the cracked door.

"Do you know any safe areas we can go the yakuza would know nothing about?"

"Well, aside from hiding in the mountains, not really."

"Damn it."

Shippo left the room, and slid the door shut behind him. "Inuyasha, you're running out of options. Maybe you should just go there to her father and stand up to him alone."

"You know how foolhardy an option that is. It could lead to a brawl, and ultimately his death. I don't want to put Kagome through that."

"But think about it, Inuyasha. He's just going to continue to terrorize Kagome, whether you fight him or not. I think you should try to negotiate with him, or fight him to show you are worthy of his daughter."

"That thought will never happen. I am what I am. The only way I could ever be worth his daughter in his eyes is if I were someone else, not me. Whenever prejudice is in the question, that person will never let someone like me win. He will do everything in his power to kill me, not accept me. I'm trying to find a way to keep her safe without violent ends."

"Yeah, like that's possible, Inuyasha. If what you're saying is true, you may have to do what you have decided to never do again."

"That is out of the question, Shippo. I will never kill again."

"You might just have to. He may push you to do so."

"No. I will not prove I'm worth her in that way."

"Then do your best to scare the shit out of him. Revert to your spirit nature, and let him know what you're capable of, should he test you."

"No! You know what that would mean!"

"Yes, I do! Let him hurt you! Let him hurt you, and not her!"

Inuyasha couldn't get any words to form in his clenched mouth. Shippo was right. He needed to save Kagome from pain. He must endure the pain so she could be safe. He closed his eyes, and turned away from Shippo.

"I must push myself just far enough to lose control, but not fully. Do you know how fine a line that is, Shippo?"

"Yes, I do. I've seen you suffer. I've seen you lose yourself. But I've also seen you regain yourself in the thick of it too. I know you can do it. You must show him that you are worth more than any yakuza scum of a human could ever be. You need to show him who and what she chose over those he chose for her, and that it's not worth pursuing her any further. Only you can do that, Inuyasha. Trust in yourself. You are far more capable of doing this than you think."

"Thank you, Shippo. Go ahead inside, I'll be right in."

Once the door slid open and shut again, Inuyasha stood from the pool of hot water and grabbed the towel from the nearby stone. He wrapped it around his torso and entered the room. Kagome looked up at him with a cup of green tea in her hands.

"Kagome, I think it's time I prove to your father that I am the only one for you."

"What?"

"I will go win your hand, Kagome. Shippo, you stay with Kagome. Protect her with your life." Shippo nodded.

"But Inuyasha, this is dangerous! I couldn't possibly ask you to-"

"You aren't asking me, I'm doing this on my own accord. No more need to be slaughtered because you and I are in love."

He knelt down behind the short, decorated partition in the corner, and dropped the wet towel to the floor. "He will not stop until I prove to him that his efforts are futile. Only I can do that."

"Inuyasha, that's suicide!"

He stood fully clothed and turned to look on her with a look of determination on his face. "I will do whatever it takes to win your hand. Even by force if that is what it takes."

She couldn't peel her eyes away from his. His heart spoke to her soul. There was no turning back for him now. A tear fell from her left eye.

Inuyasha knelt before her and wiped the tear from her left cheek with his thumb. "No need to cry, my Kagome. I will come back alive, I promise."

"Th-that's not what-"

"What is it?"

"I may not love my father, but I don't want him to die either."

"I will do everything in my power to do this peacefully. I don't want to kill your father. If he dies, it will be on him, not me."

She nodded as another tear cascaded down her soft cheek. Inuyasha kissed that one away, tasting the salty liquid on his tongue. "I will hold that tear in my heart to keep my promise."

He left the room quietly. Kagome's hands covered her eyes and she broke down. Shippo moved beside her and held her in his arms. Inuyasha heard her cries, and smelled her tears as he exited the Ryokan. He leapt off toward Tokyo alone.


	10. Chapter 10

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 10

 **(Caution: this chapter contains violent content)**

Koga arrived back at his office with Ginta and Hakkaku. They entered the office, Koga shut the door and turned on the light. Suddenly, a shadow moved beside the window—a yakuza member with a shotgun aimed right at Koga.

Koga stopped and stared right at the man. "You, come with me."

"No." Koga's expression did not change as the man moved toward him, cocking the barrel.

"I will not hesitate to shoot."

"You just did. Go ahead and shoot, that piece of crap can kill a human, but not someone like me. Why not shoot and find out?" Koga raised his arms and smirked.

"Koga! Are you crazy?" Ginta shouted.

"Come on, I've survived a lot worse than tiny little buck-shot holes."

The man's hands began to shake as Koga's gaze became more mischievous. "Huh, you're nothing compared to me. Your boss must be desperate to send a peon such as yourself to collect me. Tell me why I must come with you."

"You leaked to Inuyasha that we were coming. You are in league with the dog."

"Yeah, so?"

"You will pay!"

"With what? I got money if that's what you want." Koga reached into his pocket for his wallet.

"Not that way, jerk. You will pay with your life!"

Just then, the door behind Koga shot open, and his hands were pulled behind him. A gun was pressed to his spine, and a needle was stabbed into his carotid artery.

Suddenly, a smooth, low voice said behind him, "Any sudden move, and I'll inject you with poison."

Koga grit his teeth.

Ginta rushed at the man with the shotgun, distracting him. The gun went off, and metal flew everywhere. Ginta dodged save for a couple, and knocked the shooter off his feet. Hakkaku hit the man beside Koga, and ripped the needle from his neck. Koga grunted in pain, and kicked the man holding his wrists, knocking him into the bookcase against the wall. Another man grabbed at Koga's neck as he turned, squeezing tightly. Koga ripped his hands off him, and punched his face.

Just then, the man holding the syringe caught the right moment, and wacked Koga in the back of the neck. Koga fell forward onto the floor. The man punched Hakkaku away, put his foot on Koga's head and stuck the syringe in his neck again, plunging the poison into his blood.

"Koga, no!" Ginta screamed.

Koga grunted a moment, and then went limp. "I just injected you with paralysis poison. You can see and hear everything that's going on. You can breathe, you can comprehend, but you can't react."

The man gathered Koga into his arms and left the office. The other men left behind knocked Koga's comrades out and then left as well.

Inuyasha leapt from tree to tree through Kyoto, and all the way to the bullet train heading into Tokyo. He landed on top of the train, and rode it all the way into town. Not long after, the train slowed into the main station. Inuyasha leapt off the top of the train and quickly made his way, rooftop to rooftop to Kagome's father's building. He stopped, looked up, and saw the man's eyes looking down upon the street from his tenth floor office window. Inuyasha leapt up the girders of the building, and swung himself through the window, sending Toru to the floor, covered in glass.

"Sir!" One of his office flunkies exclaimed at Inuyasha's actions.

Toru looked up to see Inuyasha standing over him, his sword drawn, pointing right at his face. "Call security," Toru commanded.

"You know that will do you no good. I am here to negotiate." Inuyasha's gaze was hard, angry, and demanding. He was not moving a muscle.

Fear sank away from Toru's eyes as he tipped the sword from his face. Inuyasha's gaze held Toru's eyes as the man rose from the floor. Inuyasha's sword remained pointed at him.

"Negotiate? With me? You must be kidding."

"I assure you, I mean business here. My brother and I slaughtered your forces, so you have nothing left. You've played your pathetic hand, and now I demand this animosity stop. I don't want any more bloodshed over such a trivial situation." Inuyasha's voice was harsh, cold.

"What are your terms, then?"

"Look, Kagome is safe with me. I will take very good care of her. I know what happened between her and Toma. I refuse to let her fall into the hands of a man who would harm or mistreat her. I would never harm, or abuse her."

"So, this is the way you ask for my daughter's hand in marriage, is it? By threatening her father?"

"It has come to that, yes. If you had just spoken with me civilly, than I would have asked in a civil manner. But you started a war, so this is what you get."

"You are pernicious, boy. You're a punk, and you will never be worthy of my daughter. Jumping through my window, and holding a sword at my throat does not win my approval. You want a fight? I will give it to you. But I assure you, you will not die quickly."

Inuyasha's left ear twitched, and he ducked at the right moment as another one of his men swung a blade at his head. He turned and swung back, looking at the young man. "Bad move, entering into a fight with me."

He grimaced and lunged again. Inuyasha parried, and grabbed his arm, throwing him into the wall. "I can sense every move you make, dumbass!"

The man stood again, and rushed him, only for his attack to be dodged, and tripped into the glass table behind Inuyasha. Inuyasha turned and put his sharp blade at his spine.

"You attack again, and I will kill you. Spare yourself, and get out of here."

"Really. I was under the impression, according to my men who survived, that it was your brother who slaughtered my men, not you."

Inuyasha turned his hard gaze at Toru. "I see, they were right. The look in your tender eyes says it all. You aren't here to kill; that is an empty threat. You don't want to kill, you would rather scare me into submission. Well, son, that's just not going to happen. Just accept my rejection, and cower before me, and I may spare your life."

"Tsch, you think I will bow before you to save my life? If you think you can kill me, you've got another thing coming. You see, I've lived longer than anyone in this building, and will continue to outlive you, jackass! I am over 500 years old! So I'll be damned if you, or anyone else in your charge could kill me!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a pinch struck Inuyasha's neck and he lost control of his body and hit the floor. _'My body…I can't move!'_

"What was that you said? You'd be damned if I or anyone under me could kill you? Well, I think, in this present condition, you're out of luck, boy."

Toru stepped over and kicked Tetsusaiga from his hand, the energy loss transforming the sword immediately back into its normal size.

"You, I have to say, are the most interesting man I've ever come across. You're somehow immortal, and you're in love with my daughter, which is a death wish, I might add. You are just some street urchin who thinks he can out whit and outlast my strong men. And here you are, on my floor, drooling on my carpet. Yeah, you are one strong son-of-a-bitch, aren't you?"

Inuyasha couldn't peel his eyes away from Toru's sinister glare. He couldn't do a thing. He'd never been in such a position, and could never have seen this coming. He fought hard to try and move a finger, a toe, his bottom lip, or even blink. Nothing. He was paralyzed, and fear began to overcome him. His heart began to race as Toru had his men gather him off the floor and drag him out of the office to somewhere. He was only able to grunt. He couldn't talk, his tongue was numb, like it wasn't there. His gaze remained on his feet as he was dragged through the office along the floor, people looked to be staring and rising out of their chairs at him.

' _What's going on? What happened to me? I can't even avert my gaze! What the hell did they do to me? Where are they dragging me to? This isn't good. I am left wide open, can't defend myself, and they now have the upper hand on me. What do I do?'_

They dragged him up the stairs to a few floors above. The door opened, and he was then dragged along a concrete floor. The area looked unfinished. The floor was unoccupied.

' _Great, no one will know I'm here. Shit. I think I have an idea of what they're going to do to me…'_

They dragged his body into a room off to the side. They grunted as they lifted his heavy, muscular body onto what looked like a dentist's chair with restraints. They locked his hands and feet into the metal straps, and left the room. Inuyasha's eyes were looking up at a camera on the ceiling. His nose caught a scent, it was Koga's. He tried again to speak, but to no use. He grunted, but got no response.

The scent of blood laced the wolves' scent. He was hurt, but he couldn't turn his head to see how badly. A tear fell from his right eye as he thought about Kagome.

' _Shippo, I'm counting on you. Keep Kagome safe, no matter what it takes!'_

Kagome sipped the last of the tea down her throat when Sesshomaru entered the house. Kagome began to worry. "Inuyasha left three hours ago."

"He'll be fine, Kagome. He's probably having a meal with your father," Shippo assured.

"Somehow I doubt that, Shippo. My father is relentless, hence the reason I moved out and left my job. He refuses to listen to others."

"My brother is foolhardy. He should not have walked into the lion's den," Sesshomaru stated.

"What do you mean?" Shippo asked.

"The Tokyo yakuza is a strong bunch of fighters, trained in killing, and nothing more. They had their hearts branded out of them. No one can scare them without causing them ultimate fear. That is why I slaughtered as many as I could. My brother's love for humanity will be his downfall." Sesshomaru stepped from the room and left the mansion.

"Are you going to help him?" Kagome pleaded. No response, as usual.

"Something tells me I should go with him." Shippo stood to leave as well.

"Wait, Shippo, Inuyasha requested you protect me. Take me with you."

"No, Kagome. Stay here, where you're safe."

"Shippo, you and Sesshomaru have never been to this building. You don't know it, like I do. You need me."

Shippo eyed her for a moment. "Okay, but don't leave my side, no matter what happens. I'll do what I can to catch up to Sesshomaru, and we can help him then." Shippo transformed into the bird form, and Kagome climbed on his back. They flew off into the sky, headed toward Tokyo.

After the trees dispersed, they found Sesshomaru, flying high above the landscape. Shippo flapped harder and caught up to him. "Sesshomaru! We've come to help!"

"Go back, you fools."

"Kagome knows where he may be in the building. Without her, we may not find Inuyasha in time."

"Stay out of my way, then." They continued on to Tokyo.

Inuyasha's eyes lost focus a while ago. His eyes and mouth were drying out. He struggled to make his body respond, but it was still no use. All he had to keep him company was his inner voice, and determination to survive. His eyes were badly blurred, and he saw only light now. He retreated within himself, and fell into a state of meditation. He concentrated on his sense of smell, and sound. In the darkness within his mind, he could see everything. Koga was panting at his side, probably in a chair like he was strapped into. He concentrated on his scent.

He could finally sense how bad his injuries were. He'd been tortured. His abdomen must have been punctured, and he's been slowly bleeding out. The scent of his blood was slowly becoming more potent.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and shut. He heard someone enter, and move around. He left his meditative state and worked hard to focus his eyes. His eyes struggled, and steadily awoke. After about a minute, his eyes began to clear, and he could see who it was. A man he didn't recognize. He wore a bloodied apron, and had surgical gloves on his hands.

"Well, now, who do we have here? You're a handsome one, aren't you? Oh, yeah, that's right, you've been poisoned. It sucks I won't get to hear your reactions, you look to be quite the strong-willed one."

Inuyasha grunted when he turned to pull close a surgical table full of torture instruments. "Oh, so you can grunt, eh? That's good. I'll at least be able to hear your agony then. That makes this all worthwhile. That lump of a body over there couldn't even do that, so it was boring working on him. You, on the other hand, they must have lowered your dose on purpose, just for my pleasure."

' _Shit! You've got to be kidding me! I can't move!'_ Sweat started to drip from Inuyasha's forehead, slicking the silver bangs draping into his eyes.

The man grabbed a pair of scissors and cut his shirt open to reveal his muscular torso. Inuyasha's heart raced faster, and his breathing picked up pace.

"So, tell me, why did you choose to go after Kagome? You do know her family history, don't you? Who her father is?"

Inuyasha grunted again when he used an instrument to cut an incision like a pair of scissors, ripping into the taught muscle below at each jab.

"You should have backed off, and left her alone, ya know. Her father wants you to know how much he despises those who under mind him and overstep their bounds. To him, you're worth nothing."

Inuyasha's eyes teared more as he cut further into his flesh. His feeling was starting to come back. Inuyasha cried out with each painful sensation. His eyelids started to regain movement. His lips as well. He was paralyzed just to be put in this position, nothing more.

"So, how old are you again? Toru mentioned some ungodly number."

Inuyasha fought his lips to sound out, "Ff-ffff-ive hundrrr-"

"Oh, yes, five hundred years. Well, I believe I am the one to end those years, here and now. Inuyasha, I believe I am your grim reaper. I hope you're ready for death."

Inuyasha's hands finally responded; his claws dug into his palms.

Koga's eyes slowly opened. He turned them to see Inuyasha being tortured, his cries assailing his ears. Koga grit his teeth at the sight. "Inuyasha…"

"Stop! Stop! Please!" Inuyasha cried out in agony.

The man only laughed as more pain to jolted through Inuyasha's now fully feeling body. His eyes went wide, and then started to glow red. His hands unclenched; his claws growing sharper and longer. His aura began to swirl and energize around him, and his fangs grew longer.

Koga watched as Inuyasha's spirit blood began to transform him. "Inuyasha! Fight!"

His eyes fully changed, and focused on the man killing him. He raised his arms, and broke through the bonds. He thrust his right hand through the man's torso. Just then, the door burst open, and Sesshomaru cut the man's head from his shoulders with his sword. Kagome gasped at the sight of Inuyasha. She hid her eyes.

Sesshomaru smacked Inuyasha onto the bed, and forced Tetsussaiga into his hand, calming his spirit blood. "Shippo! Get him back together!"

Shippo began to piece him back together, and bonded his wounds, while Kagome knelt beside him and held his hand to comfort him. His eyes and features turned back to normal. He turned his gaze to Kagome. A small smile graced his face, and he passed out.

Sesshomaru cut Koga's bonds and helped him out of the chair. Sesshomaru asked Kagome, "Where is the leader?"

"On the tenth floor, main office. The windows to the office are clear, you'll know which office." They then left the room and descended the floors to Toru's office.

"Who are you?" Toru asked when Sesshomaru entered his office.

"Sir, this is the brother who slaughtered your men!" One of his lackeys stated.

"I see, so you're the strong one. What do you want? You're not after my daughter as well, are you?"

"I am not here for her."

"Then why did you come here?" Toru stood from his desk and stopped before the tall spirit before him.

"No one kills my brother, but me." He swung his sword at all in the office. When his sword stopped at his side, every man was dead.

When he left the office, everyone at their desks on that floor stood in shock as they looked upon the unusual being who had just committed murder in front of them. He eyed each one of them, and sheathed his sword. He said not a word as he walked through the rows to his bleeding brother, and comrades.

They got into the elevator, and went up to the top floor. They climbed the stairs up to the roof and looked about the surroundings. Sesshomaru lifted Inuyasha's broken body in his arms, and leapt off into the air. Koga and Kagome climbed onto Shippo's bird form and they flew off after Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, back to the mansion.

Sesshomaru laid his wounded, unconscious brother onto the futon in his room. He'd lost a lot of blood, and looked to be fighting for his life harder than he'd ever seen before. Kagome, Shippo and Koga stepped into the room to see Inuyasha on the futon, blood steadily staining the mattress.

"Is he-"

"He's still alive. It'll take a lot more than this to kill him," Sesshomaru replied.

Kagome knelt onto the futon, and laid down beside him, lightly placing her hand on his torso. "Oh, Inuyasha. I had a feeling you would end up hurt. Why did you have to go? You should have stayed with me." Her eyes teared up as she buried her eyes into his shoulder.

"He's an idiot. He should not have gone there. What was he thinking?" Koga asked.

"It's all my fault." They looked to Shippo. "I suggested he confront Toru."

"Shippo, it's not your fault. He could have decided not to listen to you. He did this on his own accord." Sesshomaru said.

"But, still!"

"Shippo, blaming yourself for Inuyasha's present state is not going to solve anything. You'll only end up hurting yourself. Inuyasha was determined to win my hand. You had no hand in his actions." Kagome assured.

"But, Kagome-"

"Shippo, it was his love for me, and the need to prove himself that caused him to make the decision he made. I doubt he could see the torture expert coming. I never expected my father to call upon him. He always hated that man—he creeps him out."

"What are we going to do now?" Shippo asked.

"I will stay at his side. It is my fault he's like this, after all." Kagome's lips graced Inuyasha's cheek.

"I'll help, since I'm the only doctor here," Shippo offered.

He lifted Kagome's hand from the bandages, and lifted the tape to reveal the massive, bleeding wound. He left the room and grabbed his bag of instruments and supplies.

Kagome put her hand on Inuyasha's sweat-laden cheek, and held his sweat-slicked left hand as Shippo sterilized a needle and a spot on Inuyasha's right arm, over his artery. He started a morphine drip and I.V. He sat back and waited a few minutes, letting the medication go through his system. Kagome couldn't take her eyes off Inuyasha's as he lay motionless. His eyes were grimacing, laden with pain, but he was too exhausted to react.

"Koga, can you help slake up some of this blood?" Shippo requested.

Shippo repositioned the intestines, and closed the skin and muscles around them. He then unraveled the string and started stitching Inuyasha's torso. Once he was finished stitching, Shippo sat back, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Kagome wet a rag Koga brought in and placed it on Inuyasha's hot forehead. The morphine drip stopped a little while ago, and Inuyasha's eyes began to open. He grunted at the discomfort from the recent surgery. He focused his eyes and looked at each set in the room, ending on Kagome's watery, brown orbs.

"Ka-go-me…" He breathed out quietly.

She lifted his hand to her lips to kiss it, and smiled warmly. "Inuyasha, you'll be just fine."

"Where am I?"

"You're home, my love. Safe and sound."

"Safe?"

"Yes." Kagome's warm smile melted away, and her eyes diverted when she said, "My father is dead."

Inuyasha's eyes opened wider. "How?"

"Sesshomaru killed him after we found you. Your state angered him, and he couldn't take it. He killed them all."

Inuyasha grunted and diverted his eyes. "He didn't have to do that."

"Yes, he did."

Inuyasha's gaze returned to Kagome's. "Inuyasha, I never imagined my father would bring in the master of torture. He was a very maniacal, twisted sort of person. My father never liked him because of his creep factor. I guess you and Sesshomaru pressed him far enough to bring that evil man into this. Inuyasha, he was the most ruthless member in the yakuza, only called upon for extreme situations. I should have warned you about him, but I never imagined he would be called. Inuyasha, he was the strongest card in my father's arsenal."

"Where is he?"

"You and Sesshomaru killed him." Inuyasha's eyes widened further. "You lost control, and plunged your hand into him, and Sesshomaru slashed off his head. Inuyasha, you don't remember this?"

Inuyasha averted his gaze. "No. I don't remember any of that. Just the pain, and seeing his hands pulling me apart."

"Don't blame yourself, Inuyasha. You were only protecting yourself. I'm just glad you're still alive." She settled down beside him, and tenderly kissed his lips.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered between kisses.

Shippo and Koga left the room.


	11. Chapter 11

_I do not own Inuyasha & Co._

Chapter 11

The next morning, Kagome awoke. Inuyasha was still sleeping beside her on the futon. His chest continued to rise and fall with his breaths. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, and stood from the futon. She changed from her night clothes into a comfortable outfit, and headed out of the room. She passed Shippo down the hall.

"Kagome, how is he?"

"He's still resting. He looks much better than yesterday. I figured I'd wait till you were awake to check his bandages."

"Okay, let me know when you're ready." Shippo headed to the room and entered.

Kagome headed to the kitchen to make some tea. Koga was sitting at the small table in the corner. "Tea was already made when I woke up. My guess is Sesshomaru made it."

"Why do you say that?" She grabbed a cup from the cupboard.

"It has a 'fuck you' taste to it…" He grimaced at his last sip.

"I see. I can make another pot of tea, if you like." Kagome picked up the pot and took a whiff. He wasn't kidding.

"Naw, I've had my morning tea, so I'm good." He set his empty cup in the sink and left the kitchen.

Kagome poured the remnants of the nasty smelling concoction down the drain and rinsed out the tea pot. She turned on the burner to warm up the water, and looked to see what kinds of tea were available. She found the leaves for green tea. A few minutes later, she had a new pot of green tea steeping. While it steeped, she headed down the hall to see Shippo bringing his bag into Inuyasha's room. She entered after him to see Inuyasha's eyes open.

"Kagome," He said softly.

"You're awake, that's good. How do you feel?" she asked as she knelt beside him.

"I'm alright, just a bit groggy." He looked toward Shippo on his other side.

Shippo gingerly lifted the bandage on his torso. "How does it look, Shippo?" He asked.

"Hmm…It's healing. Is it still giving you pain?"

"Not enough to complain about."

"Well, just sit tight, don't get up today. I don't want your body to have complications. He really messed things up inside you. It was like a puzzle, trying to fit everything back in. It's not surprising that you're suffering only minor pain from this, though, with how quickly you heal."

"How long do you think it will take, Shippo?" Kagome asked.

"With this level of recovery, already? I would say another day or two, and he'll be up as if nothing happened." Shippo replaced the bandage with a new one.

"The last time he had this level of injury was when Sesshomaru ran his poison hand through his chest. It only took him about two and a half days to recover. Only problem we had was keeping him locked-up from Naraku's enemies. He hated that we put up sutras and such to keep the evil beings out, and him in so he could fully recover. He was no higher in stature to a mongrel at that point, if you ask me."

"Hey! Stop treating me like a dog!" He exclaimed.

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Shippo shrugged and went back to his ministrations on his other injuries.

Kagome smiled and held Inuyasha's gaze as Koga appeared in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. "How is he?"

"I'll be fine." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Well, that's good, considering they stopped torturing me when you delivered yourself on a platter."

"Shut up. Be thankful I saved your life."

"Oh, I am, since my recovery time is half yours."

Inuyasha growled. Kagome put her hand on his chest to keep him from sitting up. "Koga, he needs to rest. The stress won't help him recover."

"Oh, the stress does just the opposite for him, I'm sure. When he transformed, his recovery time halved. His body's sustainability is what truly makes him immortal," Shippo stated.

"Yeah, which is why I kept telling you not to worry, Kagome." His hand covered hers, lifting it from his chest.

"Well, it's not like I knew these things about you as it was happening. For all I knew, you lived this long because you weren't gravely injured. I didn't know you had the regeneration of Wolverine."

"Wolverine? Tsch, he's not even half as strong as I am. He's a human graced with implanted adamantium. I am half human-half spirit being. Even my blood sustains me."

Once Shippo packed up his bag of healing supplies, the rest left the room. Kagome laid down beside Inuyasha and placed her hand on his bare chest. His right hand rested on hers, gently holding her small fingers. She stared into his beautiful, shimmery hair. She blew into his ear, and it flicked about. She giggled.

He turned his head to gaze into her eyes. His gaze was fully of love, and tenderness. They didn't speak for the longest time. She ran her right hand through his long, thick locks. His breath quickened slightly as he watched her wonderment at his features.

"Ya know," she said breathily, "Before I saw you on that train, I never imagined a being like you could exist. When I saw you, and your hair was this color, I thought you dyed your hair, but that wasn't the case."

He continued to eye her silently as she continued. "Then I saw your ears, and I knew that you weren't eccentric. That was when things really got 'real' for me, so to speak. I think I understand why my father hated my being with you, now."

"Why?"

"Because, you're not like him."

"What do you mean?"

"Because your looks are otherworldly. Just the sight of you to someone who knows nothing about you can be a bit scary. I mean, the hair color, and the eye color are things to get used to, since they are very uncommon. I would imagine he saw it as an image sort of issue. Me, I could care less, as I think you are beautiful."

"You think so?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Kagome. This is one of the main reasons why I love you so much. You love what sets me apart, instead of fearing or hating me for it. You embraced these things about me instead of reacting as normal humans would. That's why I choose to protect you. You are rare, Kagome," He closed his eyes. He pressed his forehead to hers, and they slept for a while that way.

Later that day, Kagome awoke, and left the room as he continued to rest and heal. She rewarmed the tea, and had some. She also cooked for everyone remaining. Sesshomaru headed to town to catch reports on any more possible gang activity, but heard nothing, save for reports of a strange being killing a prominent accountant at his firm. One thing that surprised them all was that no one could say who, or what killed him. They all thought it was some ethereal being, and something inhuman, which authorities could not confirm.

"Huh…That's rather interesting, considering all of us were there. I guess they just couldn't describe what they saw correctly, and the authorities just let it go, thinking they were all hallucinating, or something," Koga replied.

"Yeah, that report makes no sense," Kagome agreed.

"Well, my thought is, I bet the authorities are just glad some 'weird' person finished off the yakuza for them, since they were so tough to get rid of to begin with," Shippo stated.

"Either way, they're covering up what happened yesterday," Inuyasha sat up uneasily on the futon.

"You shouldn't be sitting up yet, Inuyasha," Kagome put her hand on his shoulder.

"What do you know? I'm feeling much better than I did yesterday, and earlier today. Let me be, I'm doing fine," he barked over his shoulder.

"Sure you are," Shippo chided.

"Knock it off! Listen, all this gives me an uneasy feeling. I just feel like that can't all be it, can it?"

"Well, after surviving such a maniacal enemy such as Naraku would most certainly cause you to lose trust in when a conflict is truly over. Naraku never abated, until he was wiped clean from this world. You asking that question makes sense," Koga said.

"True, I can see your point there," Inuyasha said.

"Well, either way, my father and his men didn't get the best of you. To see you doing so well after such a terrible trauma means I chose someone stronger than even the most evil of humans."

"Huh, if you had seen me fight against the Shichinintai, you would never have questioned my capabilities."

"That's true! They tried to do all sorts of stuff to you and the rest of us, Inuyasha. You never told her that story?" Shippo asked.

"Not yet. There's a lot of my history she does not know. We haven't even known each other for a month yet."

"Wait, so then she doesn't know your secret yet?"

Inuyasha smacked Shippo over the head. "Of course not, you little worm!"

"Don't smack him!" Kagome pulled on his left arm.

"Ow! Don't pull me in different directions! You'll cause my wounds to re-open!"

"Inuyasha, stop being so physical, and that won't happen!" Koga exclaimed.

"Anyway, what's this secret? Does everyone else here know?" Kagome asked.

Everyone went silent as Inuyasha closed his eyes in thought.

"I don't tell just anyone my deepest secret until a level of trust has been established. Besides, instead of tell you, I'd rather show you," he gazed in her eyes, asking for her not to press.

"I see. What does it have to do with?"

His eyes shifted to her hand on his shoulder. "It is another side of me you haven't seen yet. It's one I rarely show to anyone, and partially why I became a hermit, mainly working at home. It's when I'm most vulnerable, and I don't like everyone to know about it." He lifted her hand from his shoulder and kissed the back of it. "For you, though, this moment couldn't have come at a better time."

He looked out the window, noticing the darkness of night had fallen some time ago, and the glow of the candlelight became brighter as Shippo lit another candle, setting it in the center of the room. He closed his eyes, and the energy in the room began to change. His wind rustled his hair. Kagome kept her eyes on Inuyasha as his hair went black, his dog ears sank into his skull, and his claws retreated into his cuticles on his fingers, rounding out at the tip. She gasped when it occurred to her what was happening.

He opened his eyes, and looked on her. She was met with cool, dark eyes. He looked like an ordinary Japanese man.

' _If only my father had seen him in this form, he might not have put up so much of a fight,'_

She reached up to run her hand through the thin, black hair. Everything about him was different, save for the determination in his eyes.

"How did this happen?" Kagome asked.

"It's the night of the New Moon. Whenever the new moon falls upon the earth, I transform into an ordinary human. I have no spiritual powers. At this time, my spirit blood is sealed away, and cannot sustain me."

"Then, if this was the form you were in when they tortured you, you would've—"

"That's right, I would not have survived. That's why I keep this time a secret, from everyone. Only those I trust completely are worthy to know this secret. I love you, Kagome. I know you'd never betray me, so I am glad I can share this with you. Now you know everything there is to know about me."

Everyone was silent in the room for a few moments. "So, Koga, how long are you planning on staying here?"

"I figured, since I recognized that your dog scent was dissipating, I would stick around, in case more idiots decided to attack. There's no telling that some of the men you didn't kill can't come back to fight you again, to get revenge on your brother, or you for killing their boss."

"I see. Well, once the sun rises in the morning, you guys can be on your way."

"But you're still too injured to fight, Inuyasha," Kagome said.

"I'm feeling pretty good, even as a human, right now, which gives me the sign that I'll be fully healed by the end of tomorrow," He smiled.

"Just don't get over zealous, Inuyasha. If anyone does come, and they really put up a good fight, your wounds could still be compromised."

"Shut it, Shippo. We'll think about that if it happens. For now, I'm just going to relish this moment with Kagome, which I would appreciate it if you all left the room." He scowled at everyone aside from Kagome.

Once the shoji slid shut, and the footsteps got softer, he turned to Kagome and kissed her tenderly. "Inuyasha, I'm not sure what you're planning to do tonight, but I don't want you to be hurt while we-"

"Come off it, Kagome. That's not what I meant. I don't think I could perform well enough tonight, even if that was on my mind, so don't worry about that. I want to lay with you, cuddle with you, and enjoy your scent. I want to experience being in your presence as a human man. That's all I want tonight. Just to hold you close, and be thankful you're with me."

"Oh, Inuyasha…" His lips met hers, and they settled into the futon, embracing each other tenderly.

His touch was softer. The skin on his hands was even softer against her skin. His kiss was tender, and not so needy. His embrace wasn't as strong, and even his own scent was muskier. His breathing sounded relaxed, and restful. He moaned a few times, voicing ecstasy at her kisses. He truly was a different man in this form. She knew then that she had truly fallen for him.

A couple times, she pushed him back as he lost control, and began to touch her. She stopped him to remind him, and he made no fuss. He relented from taking her that night, as a few times, he moved wrong, and received a jolt of pain. He tried his best to hide it from Kagome, but she noticed he'd change the firmness of his kiss, and a grimace would form between his eyebrows. She pulled away to see his lips contort a bit, and then he locked lips with her again, wanting not to come up for air.

' _Kagome, I don't want you to worry about me; about my pain. I am strong, and I know I can love you, no matter what condition I'm in. your touch makes my heart race faster. The taste of your mouth is exquisite. I love every inch of you, and I badly want to take you, but I won't because I know you wouldn't let me tonight. Kagome, my love, I am forever yours, as you are forever mine.'_

The next morning, Kagome awoke to see Inuyasha's silver hair shining in the sunlight. His ears twitching at each breath she released. His eyebrows were relaxed, and his mouth closed. His eyes moved under the eyelids—he was still dreaming. His breath exited softly from his nose.

She lifted her left hand to touch his perfect face. He didn't react as her soft fingers embraced his right cheek, then his lips, and then his chin. His high cheek bones and strong countenance appealed to her eyes.

"So beautiful," she whispered.

She moved her lips closer to his. Her lips gripped his bottom lip, softly pulling at the pink flesh. He felt the kiss, and kissed her back. She opened her eyes to see his eyes still moving beneath the lids. He was reacting in his sleep. Before she knew it, he was on top of her, plastering her head into the futon, kissing her deeply, and needily.

She pushed him back a bit, breaking the kiss, and waking him. "What the…" He asked.

"Sorry, I didn't think that would wake you. You were dream-kissing me."

He leaned over back to her right, and put his hand on his bandages. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" He grunted.

Kagome looked over to see a small stain forming on one of the bandages. "Oh, my, Inu…"

"It's fine. I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He got up and pulled on the yukata that was laid out for him. He then left the room, sliding the shoji shut with a slap.

Kagome sat up and put her hands over her eyes, shaking her head.

Inuyasha stepped into the kitchen to see Sesshomaru brewing tea. He took one glance at Inuyasha and said, "You're bleeding again."

"Tsch, it's just one little hole. It'll close up in under an hour."

"Be careful, it's been two days since you were cut in half."

"What do you care?" Inuyasha grabbed a glass full of the tea, and sat down at the table.

"I don't." He set his cup down on the table across from Inuyasha.

"It's over, isn't it?"

"It should be." He took a sip and stared off into space.

Inuyasha took a sip and spit it out. "What the fuck is this shit?"

"An herb you're not familiar with."

"Can't you use something we're all familiar with?" Inuyasha stood and poured the tea into the sink.

"How else do you think I can stay as focused as I am?"

Inuyasha turned and eyed his brother, perplexed. Kagome entered the kitchen soon after. "Don't take any of it," he pointed at the tea pot.

Kagome smiled and poured it out. She then started making green tea for them. Inuyasha slid open the shoji leading into the Zen garden and went out. He sat down on the ledge, and slowly pulled at the bandage on his torso. The small area that was bleeding was a spot on the edge that Shippo missed while stitching his wound shut. It had already stopped bleeding. He pressed the bandage back into place and silently stared out into the garden.

Kagome joined him a few moments later. She sat beside him, and eyed his face. He was pensive. She put her hand on his, gaining his gaze. He softly smiled, and leaned into her. The right side of his head rested on her shoulder, and his neck craned, tipping his lips to suckle at her neck. She closed her eyes, smiled and enjoyed the moment as the sun continued to rise in the sky above the quiet Zen garden before them.

"You're free, Kagome. You're free from oppression, from an unloving, uncaring father, and free from obligation."

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

A week later, Kagome appeared at the shrine to see her father's casket. Friends and family surrounded the shrine, mourning her father. Inuyasha stayed back, outside the gates, on the nearest roof, watching. Kagome silently paid her respects, and then stood before her mother. They bowed, and embraced in tears. A minute later, Kagome led her mother out of the shrine and through the gate. Inuyasha leapt down from the roof, startling her mother.

"Mother, this is the man I spoke of. This is Inuyasha."

The older woman bowed to him in respect. "Kagome tells me you are very loving, and have cared for her more than any other man has ever cared for her."

"Yes."

"You have my thanks for protecting my Kagome. You, Inuyasha, have my blessing." She bowed low to him.

He bowed low in return. "I will forever protect your daughter, Mrs. Higurashi. You have my word."

She lightly bowed her head and then turned back toward the gate of the shrine. Inuyasha and Kagome embraced excitedly. They kissed a moment, and he knelt down before her. She climbed onto his back, and he took off onto the roofs and made their way back to his place where they began their lives together.


End file.
